Overflow
by Aaron Smiley
Summary: A simple overflowing toilet starts a chain reaction that leads to dramatic consequences for the Turtles' friend, Aaron. Sucky summary. Just read it
1. A Porcelain Problem

Disclaimer: I do not own the turtles or any character in their various universes

_Author's Note: This idea has been rolling around in my head for a long time, I just had to get it out. If I decide to post a chapter two at all, it might take a while, but enjoy the beginning and don't forget to review!_

_Friendly Reminder: Aaron Smiley is a girl. She is of my creation. Yes, I know Aaron is a boy's name, but I like it, so there. (Author sticks out tongue at the computer screen)_

* * *

Aaron's teacher paced across the front of the classroom. 

"As you all know," Ms. Grayden said to her class, "Finals are approaching rapidly-"

"Duh dun- Duh dun- Duh dun Duhdun Duhdun Duhdunduhdunduhdunduhdun..." sang out a nearly beep-like version of Jaws. The class burst out laughing at the irony. All except Aaron, who recognized the melody as her cell phone, and Ms. Grayden, who, like a hawk, spotted Aaron's horror-stricken face.

"Miss Smiley! Bring me your cell phone this instant!" Ms. Grayden barked. Her wrinkles seemed to deepen in her fury at being interrupted in her lesson.

Reluctantly Aaron fished around in her backpack and brought the device to Ms. Grayden at the front of the classroom. In all her stalling the phone stopped ringing, but to Aaron's horror the phone began ringing again as soon as she placed it in her teacher's wrinkled, old hand. Ms. Grayden flipped the phone open and pressed the talk button. Snickers rippled throughout the classroom.

"Hello?" Ms. Grayden answered, "No, this is not Aaron, this is her teacher, Ms. Grayden. Who is calling?"

Aaron was the only person close enough to hear the voice on the other end.

"Her teacher? No way, dude, You sound much to young to be Aaron's teacher," Mike's voice said over the phone. "Hey, babe, could you hand the phone over to Aaron for a sec? It's _importante_."

Slightly flustered, Ms. Grayden replied, "Why is it so _importante_ that you speak to Miss Smiley?"

"Hey, babe, I gotta dump her before I can ask you out."

Ms. Grayden snapped the phone shut.

"Turn this off immediately and sit down!" She barked at Aaron.

Aaron hastily took back her cell phone and slunk back into her seat.

* * *

"Mike!" Aaron yelled into her cell phone after school, running her free hand frustratedly through her light borwn hair, "I told you never to call me during school unless it's an emergency!" 

"There is an emergency!" He yelled back.

"Michelangelo! You were flirting with my prehistoric teacher!"

"But there's still an emergency!"

"Well what is it?"

"Um...just get over to April's ASAP."

"Mike," Aaron rolled her eyes, "I've never met April, let alone know where she lives!"

"Stop yelling! I'll have Leo come pick you up!"

"You stop Yelling!"

"You yelled at me first!"

"Well you yelled last!"

"Now you yelled last!"

"Whatever!"

_click.

* * *

_

"So what's this big emergency?" Aaron asked as she climbed up into the passenger seat of the Battle Shell.

"Who knows?" Leo shrugged, "but considering it's Mikey, they're probably just out of popcorn."

Aaron laughed, "I wouldn't be surprised if you're right."

A few minutes later the pulled up in front of April's antique shop and headed up the stairs to her apartment. Leo knocked on the door.  
A tall man in blue sports pants and a red sleeveless shirt with long black hair answered the door.

"Leo! Thank goodness youse guys are here!" He opened the door wider.

"Oh hey," he said noticing Aaron, "I'm Casey. You must be Aaron, da guys told me 'bout you." He shook her hand, "Some more than others," he said trying to wink nonchalantly at Leo, but utterly failing. "Come on in, problem's back here." He led them into the apartment.

"What was _that _about?" Aaron asked Leo.

"What was what about?"

"That _wink_."

"What wink?"

"Leo, we both saw the wink. People all the way in _Chicago_ could have seen that wink.

Leo gave her an innocent look, "I have no idea what- happened here!" Leo stared, shocked at the scene before them, switching Aaron's attention, too.

Casey had stopped in front of April's bathroom. Water was flooding all over the place. Wet rags were strewn across the room trying to contain the water that was beginning to seep out into the hall. A foul smell wafted about the air. And in the middle of all this was Mikey with the source of the problem; an upset toilet.

Mike tried to smile, "Hi-ya guys, um...think you can help?"

"What _happened _here?" Leo repeated.

"Well uh..." Casey began to explain, "I uh... offered to housesit for April while she went to an out of town antique show this weekend. She left this morning, and I got kinda bored so I called the lair to see if you, dudes, wanted ta come over, Don was working, you was practicin' and Raph was topside looking for Purple Dragons and stuff so Mike, here, came over. And then badda-bing badda-boom, the toilet broke."

"Somehow, I'm not convinced that's quite _exactly _what happened," Aaron said eyeing a sheepish-looking Mikey.

"You haven't even been here 24 hours and you've already broken something?" Leo crossed his arms and looked back at Casey.

Casey glanced upward as he calculated, "um...yup."

Leo shook his head and sighed.

"Did you guys try calling Don to see if he could fix it?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah," Mike said, "But he claimed to be in the middle of something really important, but I think he just didn't want to mess with the disgusting toilet and disgusting toilet water and disgusting contents floating in the disgusting toilet water and-"

"Enough, Mike!" Leo hushed his brother, "Let's just get this mess cleaned up."

"What do you think we've been doing for the last hour and a half, Leo?" Mike asked, "Relaxing on the couch while Niagara Nasty Falls floods the bathroom?"

Leo rolled his eyes, "does anyone know how to fix a toilet?"

"Uhh, I think there's a plunger involved somewhere..." Aaron offered.

"Isn't there a company we could call?" Casey asked.

"Oh yes, I'm sure there's an entire company devoted to answering people's question about their toilets," Mike said sarcastically and leaned against their own porcelain problem.

"Hey, I was just saying-"

Suddenly the toilet made a groaning noise and water started to gush out.

"What just happened?" Leo asked.

"I dunno," answered Mike, "He backed away from the toilet. "Oops."

"Oops? What's Oops?" Aaron asked watching the tile floor flood with murky water.

"I think I accidentally flushed the toilet when I leaned on it."

"Are there any more rags?" Aaron asked.

"In the kitchen below the sink," Casey directed.

Aaron ran off to the kitchen

"There's gotta be some way to turn it off!" Leo shouted.

Casey's face lighted up with an idea.

"Mike," He said, "see if there's a knob behind and down below the toilet bowl.

Mike bent down and peered around the ceramic bowl.

"I think I see one."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Leo asked backing away from the water that was trickling towards him, "Turn it!"

"Aye aye captain!" Mike reached for the knob and started turning it.

The roar of the toilet grew louder.

"Mike!" Casey exclaimed, "You're turning it up! not off!"

"Huh?" Mike continued twisting and looked up at them confused.

"Other way!" Leo and Casey shouted.

"Ohhh," he nodded in understanding and started turning the handle the other way.

Aaron came back with some towels as the water finally died down and stopped.

"Ugh! It got worse!" Aaron said looking into the bathroom, "I didn't think it was possible!"

She dumped the towels on the counter next to the sink.

"Ok guys, good news and bad news."

"What's the bad news?" Leo asked.

"Bad news: these are the last three rags in the entire apartment and April doesn't have a washing machine."

"What's the good news?" Mike asked.

"Someone gets out of here to find the nearest Laundromat and washes all those." She pointed to the heaps of wet cloth on the ground.

"That's good news?" Mike lifted an eye-ridge.

"It is for laundry loving folk."

The guys rolled their eyes.

"Ok," said Leo, "Mike, find a plunger and start working on unclogging the toilet. Casey, gather up these towels and take them down to the nearest Laundromat. Aaron and I will start mopping up the floor."

"Why do I have to do the laundry?" whined Casey.

"Because Mike and I can't go waltzing around town and I'm not sending Aaron out alone."

"Hey what's that supposed to mean?" Aaron's head snapped up in playfull offense, "You think I can't do laundry on my own?"

"No," Leo said, "I just don't want you out alone in New York, especially without anyone around to protect you."

"Excuse me?"

Aaron's smile turned to a frown. She placed her hands on her hips and said matter-of-factly, "I can take care of myself, _Leo_."

Leo shook his head, trying to reason, "Aaron, you're fifteen and female. Some goon decides he wants you; you're toast."

"Oooooooo." Mike said, recognizing Aaron take that comment as an insult. Aaron narrowed her eyes, crossed her arms and glared at Leo.

"Hey, I've seen April make that face at me before," said Casey, "right before she-" He stopped suddenly at the memory, "Uh-oh!...uh...I'm gonna go do that laundry now," he said quickly grabbing a heap and making a run for the door.

"So you think that just because I'm a girl, I'm a pathetic little baby doll you have to protect and shelter?"

"No," Leo shook his head, "I'm not saying that. I'm saying that things happen and I'd rather not take that chance."

Mike watched the exchange with growing interest. The fact that Casey decided to high tail it out of the potential war zone only greatened his fascination.

"What? The chance that I'm too frail?" Aaron growled, insulted.

"No! I'm sure you'd be fine!" Leo tried to reason, "But if someone, like Hun, comes along who's easily three times your size and just naturally ten times stronger, you're not going to be able to hold your own for very long."

"You're fifteen and you've taken out Hun before!" Aaron pointed out hotly.

"I've been training in the art of Ninjitsu since I could walk!" Leo shot back. "You don't have an ounce of fighting experience!"

"Alright," Aaron glowered, "Teach me!"

"_What_?" Leo and Mike both exclaimed taken off guard.

"Teach me," She said smirking and raising her eyebrows, "Tomorrow morning. Eight o'clock. You're gonna start training me until I prove to you that I can kick anyone's butt!"

With that she turned on her heel and went fuming out of the room.

"What just happened here?" Leo asked aloud, staring at the empty doorway Aaron had just exited.

"I'm not sure, dude," Mike said, also staring at the doorway.

Suddenly Aaron reappeared in the doorframe, arms still crossed and scowling.

"I'm not old enough to drive. I need someone to take me home," she muttered crossly and re-exited.

Leo glanced back at Mike.

"I'm not taking her, dude!" Mike said putting up his hands, "You made her mad; you deal with her."

Leo sighed and trudged off after Aaron for a long ride home.

Mike watched him go and then a strong odor brought him back to the task at hand,

"Hey!" He yelled out anyone within hearing range, "What about April's toilet?"


	2. Ready, Set, Sensei

Disclaimer: TMNT not mine. Aaron is.

_Author's note: Thanks to everyone who reveiwed! I'd put all your names down in gratitude, but I'm in a hurry. I'll do it next chapter. Promise!  
_

_ Deepest and sincerest apologies for the long time in updating. I seem to have lost alot of my inspiration for this story. But while I look for it, here's what I came up with to keep you all busy. I'm not sure I totally like it. I know where I want to get in this story, as in I have point A to point C totally mapped out, but I'm having trouble routing road B. Lemme know what you think..._

_

* * *

_  
"You think Sensei'll go for it?" Raph asked.

"I don't know," replied Leo, looking down at his hands.

"I doubt it," Don commented, "Remember we couldn't help Master Splinter train April because of what we did to that poor kid when we were little? Why should this be any different?"

"But we're older now," protested Mike, flipping through a magazine he'd brought back from April's, "and much more mature." He turned the page. "The Silver Sentry Comic Book Convention's coming to town! Can I go, Leo? Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh?"

"Oh yeah, Mike," Raph said rolling his eyes, "real mature."

"Besides," Mike said, ignoring Raph and getting back on subject, "If you start training Aaron, it'll give you two some more time to spend together, and more time for you to _make a move_."

"Mike!" Leo exclaimed.

"Another reason, Sensei probably won't allow it," Don said, "You have feelings for Aaron, so leaving you two alone and unsupervised in the dojo isn't going to be a father's first choice."

"Aw, c'mon, Donnie! The dojo's right there out in the middle of the room," Mike whined. "Where's that romantic turtle I know's deep down in there somewhere?"

"You're the only hopeless romantic around here, Mikey;" Raph said bopping Mike good-naturedly on the head.

"Not hope_less_," corrected Mike, "Hope_ful_."

"Whatever," Raph rolled his eyes again, "Besides, we don't even know how Aaron feels about Leo in all this. After all, it takes _two to tango_, if you know what I mean."

"Raph!" Leo looked up at his brother in disbelief, "I'd never-"

"That's true," Don cut in, ignoring Leo. "But it's not like one of us can just walk up to Aaron and ask her point blank if she's smitten with Leo or not..."

Mike sat thinking and then grinned slyly as a idea lit his face.

"And don't even think about asking her, Mike!" Don said noting his brother's expression.

"Aw! C'mon, Donnie, don't you wanna know? I bet Leo wants to know, don't you, Leo? ...Leo?"

The three turtles looked around. The eldest had left during the course of their discussion without a trace. The three shrugged and continued their debate.

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"Come in, my son," Splinter beckoned Leonardo into his chamber.

"Good evening, Sensei." Leo knelt on the ground before Splinter.

"Is there something you wish to discuss, Leonardo?"

Leo bit his lip and looked up.

"Aaron has...um...asked me to train her in the art of Ninjitsu..."

"Yes?" Master Splinter raised his eyebrows waiting for Leo to continue.

"Well, I...um...came to ask if... I may instruct -er if you would allow me to- that is, if you believe I'm ready, could I- should I? uh..." Leo stumbled over his words. Master Splinter smiled amusedly.

"My son, I have complete confidence in your ability to train another. It will enhance your patience and sympathy."

Leo looked at Splinter comepletely surprised

"You mean, you're saying yes?

Splinter nodded and smiled as Leo unconsciously let his face light up with delight.

Splinter added, "Though I believe you will do a fine job, but I feel it necessary to require a demonstration of what Aaron has learned from you on a weekly basis, as to monitor this exercise."

Leo quickly agreed, bowed and thanked Master Splinter, before exiting the room.

His brother's watched as he came back into the common room.

"So what'd he say?" Mike asked.

Leo shrugged trying to act casual, "Looks like I'm gonna be Aaron's sensei."

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"Good morning!" Aaron smiled as she entered the lair.

"Hey!" Mike and Raph greeted her from the couch without looking away from their television program.

"Where's Leo?" She asked walking over to them.

"He's meditating'." Mike said. He was holding a box of Cheerios and was crunching away at the enormous handfuls he kept cramming in his mouth.

"He should be done in about two minutes," Raph said glancing over at the clock.

"Two minutes?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah, he always meditates until exactly eight o'clock," Raph said quickly, glancing at Aaron. He turned back to the TV, but then did a double take.

"Holy Toledo!" He exclaimed looking her up and down. She wore little black shorts and a white fitted tank top. "When did you become little Miss Curves?"

Aaron blushed, "Oh c'mon; I don't look _that _different!"

Mike glanced over to see what the conversation was about.

"Holy Guacamole, Aaron!" Mike exclaimed dropping several Cheerios down his plastron. "You've got legs!"

"Gee, thanks Mike," Aaron said sarcastically, "I never knew I possessed that body part until now."

"Wow," Mike said looking her over again.

"Guys, there's nothing different about me..." Aaron said

"Except that this is the first time we've ever seen those legs you've been hiding under those jeans you always wear." Raph pointed out still staring at her.

"Hey, babe, Are you a baker? cuz those are some nice looking buns," Mike smiled smugly.

"Ugh! You guys are hopeless;" Aaron sighed and wandered off into the middle of the room, which also functioned as the turtle's dojo.

She walked over to the worn punching bag that hung off one of the large pillars that held up the ceiling high above. She balled up one of her fists and gave the bag a soft punch. It swung slightly. She tried it with her left hand. Feeling rather bored while waiting, she sent the bag back and forth between her two hands. She began to hit a little harder and firmer making the bag swing farther and faster. She gave it a kick, which sent it swinging on a large arc.

"You're making your fists wrong," a voice said from behind her. Aaron whirled around in surprise to face

Leonardo.

His face changed from a amused smile to a quick panicked look.

"Aaron! The bag!"

"Huh?" Aaron looked at him quizzically. Suddenly she felt something hard and heavy ram into her from behind, knocking her way off balance and causing her to fall forward. Before she hit the floor she saw a flash of green come towards her and something grabbed her. The next thing she knew she was lying on the floor on top of Leonardo's chest, their faces just inches apart, his arms around her middle, as though to have used himself to cushion her fall. She looked down into his face, shocked. He gulped.

"Reflex," he stammered, wide-eyed. As if he himself was shocked at what he had done.

"Uh...thanks..." Aaron stammered back awkwardly.

They continued to lay their for a minute longer, slightly bewildered, until Mike looked back at them over the couch.

"Hey Raph, looky see over there."

Raph turned around, "Hey guys, get a room would ya?"

Aaron and Leo's heads both snapped over towards the couch. They scrambled up as both their cheeks deepened in color and embarrassment.

"Um, so, let's get started," Leo said changing the subject quickly.

"Sounds good," Aaron hastily agreed.

Raph and Mike turned back to their TV program, snickering.


	3. Mood Ring Feelings

Disclaimer: Turtles not mine, darn!

_Author's note: Sorry about the long wait for such a short chapter, Writer's block. Yes, that's my excuse for everything it seems. But thanks to_**Cynlee**, **Tripleguess**, **Artykidd**, **Mikol**, **The REAL Cheese Monkey**, **Sugar-high pixie**, **kaya lizzie**, **Dragonfly Rider**, **SaphireCatElf** _for reviewing one or both of my previous chapters! P.S. anything Leo says about fighting in this chapter may or may not be true. I'm taking what he says from the various books I've flipped through and my common sense. So correct me if I'm wrong.  
_

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"So, um...what were you saying about my fists?" Aaron asked unconsiously tugging on the bottom of her shirt.

"What?" Leo asked, confused.

"You said I was making my fist wrong," Aaron said blankly, "How can one _possibly_ make fists wrong?"

"Well, uh...see you had your hand like-" He reached out for her hand, but stopped suddenly and seemed to change his mind, then held out his own hand instead, "like this."

He balled up his fist.

"You're putting your thumb inside your fingers, see?"

Aaron nodded compliantly.

"What you should do is keep your thumb outside your fingers while making a fist."

Aaron nodded again and tried to make her own fist.

"Like this?" She asked, holding out her hand for Leo to see.

Leo peered at it.

"No, now your thumb is on your knuckles, see?" He hesitantly reached out and fixed her hand to the right position, "Now it's not going to get in the way when you're punching some thug's lights out."

Aaron smiled and laughed softly, "Um...yeah, about yesterday..." she trailed off and glanced down at her feet.

"I'm sorry I was acting all sensitive and stuff." She huffed a sigh, "I shouldn't have gotten so angry. I've just-" She shook her head and shrugged, "I've had a lot of stuff going on at home and I've just kinda been in this weird funk lately."

She glanced back up into his eyes and quickly dropped them back to the floor, "I mean, you're right," she paused a moment talking half to him, half to herself, "If some punk decided to mess with me, the cold, hard facts are: I'd lose."

She smiled softly, "My mom's always telling me that I think I'm invincible and that that's going to get me into trouble someday." She glanced back up at Leo, "So...I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I understand," Leo nodded, accepting the apology.

Aaron looked off into space and seemed to be thinking deeply about something. Out of the blue, she softly whispered in her absent state of mind, "No, you don't..."

She abruptly snapped back into reality. Before Leo had a chance to ask her what she was talking about she quickly glanced down and asked, "Um...do you think I could have my hand back now?"

Leo looked down to see he was still holding Aaron's hand, he'd forgotten to let go after fixing her grip.

"Oh! Sure" He exclaimed, letting go instantly and in his embarrassment forgot to question her.

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"Ok, we're done for today," Leo announced.

"Thank you!" Aaron exclaimed and collapsed dramatically onto the floor.

"Geez Leo, what did you do to the poor girl?" Raph asked wandering through the dojo area.

"All we did today was conditioning." Leo shrugged and smiled, "not even that hard, either."

"Not hard?" Aaron sat up abruptly, "You call 5 wind sprints, a 2 minute wall-sit, 250 sit-ups plus 150 crunches, 5 more wind sprints, two sets of lines, push-ups-which I utterly failed at, mind you- twenty-two laps around the dojo, handheld weights up to 15 pounds a lap of lunges and another 5 wind sprints nothing?"

Leo shook his head no. Aaron's eyes bugged out in disbelief. Raph snickered at her expression,

"Welcome to Leo's Land of Perfection, kid, You must be this perfect to ride all rides."

He held his hand up way above his head as if to mark a height.

Aaron flopped back onto the ground and moaned, "Will someone find me a hole to crawl in and die? I'm too pooped to do it myself."

"Hey by the way," Raph turned to Leo, "We're all going to April's tonight to see if we can't fix up her apartment before she gets home tomorrow, kay?"

Leo nodded in agreement.

"You're welcome to join us," Raph added to Aaron. He held out a hand to help her up. She took it and he heaved her up off the ground.

"Thanks, but I'll pass, I'm trying to give up mopping up after overflowing toilet bowls." She dusted imaginary dust off herself and fixed her clothing. "Hey, what time is it?" She asked.

The two turtles shrugged.

"Yo Mike," Raph shouted across the lair, "What time is it?"

"Time for someone to restock our pantry. We're all out of Hot Tomales, " he said sauntering in. "Oh wait," he stopped in his tracks, "Never mind. I found one!" He gestured towards Aaron.

Aaron rolled her eyes, "Oh, ha-ha." She glared fiercely at him and spat out, "Mike, you don't honesty think any girl would be stupid enough to fall for your ridiculous, pathetic little pick-up lines, do you?"

Mike stood there dumbfounded, not entirely sure what to do or say. Aaron's expression instantly changed from hard and irritated to remorseful and mortified at her words.

" Oh Mike, I- I'm sorry." She looked panickingly around at all their shocked faces. "I- I...I have to go!" She stammered and ran from the dojo as quickly as she could.

The four turtles stared after her.

"That was _wierd_..." Mike trailed off, puzzled at Aaron's sudden explosion.

They continued to stare for a couple more moments.

"What's up with her?" Raph asked eventually; breaking the silence.

"Aaron's never burst out like that before, I mean, this morning she put up with me just fine." Mike added.

Leo shrugged and shook his head as the memory of her words earlier echoed back to him,

_"No, you don't."_

He mentally kicked himself for forgetting to question her. Oh well, it would have to wait till tomorrow, that is, if she came back.

* * *

Master Splinter stood in the shadows. He'd been silently watching Aaron's first practise session, but had wished to keep his presence unknown. Not wishing to disturb his son's first teaching or make the young girl nervous. 

He quietly crept back to his room without the knowledge of his sons. Young Miss Smiley would be back, he decided. In her own time of course. But how long that was, he was not sure. What he did know was that something was amiss and he was sure it would all come clear soon.

* * *

_  
Author's note:_

_So there's my attempt at a dramatic semi-cliff-hanger ending.  
I'm having trouble feeling the magic in this story anymore, so I beg you, now that you've read it, give me a super critical (but still polite and honest) review! All who do not shall be hunted down and pied in the face! (As soon as I learn to make pie, which could be years, so you're safe for now, but nonethelass you will be HUNTED!)_


	4. Bags and Breakdowns

_Author's note: Yeah, yeah, I know; this is taking forever. But this is my first attempt at a drama so hold onto your horses and various other farm animals. _: - ) _I'm working on this as quickly as I can. I actually decided to split this chapter in half so I could have something to post. I figured this was long enough and I found, what I hope to be, a good cut-off place. _

_Thanks to _**Dragonfly Rider**, **SaphireCatElf**, **sugar-high pixie**, **Jessiy Landroz**, **Liz-Sakura**, and **Katana-Babe**_ for remembering to review. Yes, I know, Aaron's a little looney right now; but hopefully I've been able to explain it in this chapter so that it now makes sense and she no longer seems quite so chemically imbalanced.  
_

_ Warning: This is not a happy, feel good chapter. After you read please go to your designated happy place to return to your normal happy status._

Disclaimer: Mine: Aaron. Not mine: TMNT, Reliant K, and "Mood Rings"

_New Author's Note: I decided to take the lyrics off cuz guess what? Song lyrics are a no-no. (Shrugs innocently) Who knew? (A mryiad of other author's raise their hands and wave them in the air) (Aaron shrugs again) Ok then! ... _

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"Hey Leo," Mike shouted as he rushed into the monitor room. Leo sat on the couch, TVs off, book in his lap. He wasn't reading though, or he would have turned the page during the last twenty minutes.

Mike shouted again, this time in his brother's ear, to get his attention.

Leo jerked back into reality, "Huh? What?"

"I was sitting in my room thinking about how weird Aaron was acting earlier when I remembered this old CD she lent me a while back, and I think you should give it a listen." Mike pulled produced his old battered boom box and before Leo had a chance to object Mike hit the play button. The old appliance began screeching in protest of being forced to play after too many years of use. The song was barely audible above the noise.

"It's Reliant K's "Mood Rings"," Mike shouted over the screeching during the intro.

The Wailing of the electronic device drowned out the lyrics of the song.

"Sounds just like Aaron, right?" Mike asked half-way through, oblivious to the din.

Leo nodded painfully covering his ear holes, hoping the torture would be over soon.

Eventually the pain came to an end, but not nearly soon enough.

"Well?" Mike stopped the CD and looked up hopefully.

Leo sighed and cautiously lowered his hands from the sides of his head. Not entirely sure what to tell his brother as he hadn't heard the idea at all, "Mike, I'm not sure that's quite the answer to the problem."

"Awww!" Mike sighed disappointedly.

"But it was a nice try..." Leo tried to console his brother.

Mike shrugged his shoulders and scampered off to show Don his new theory.

Leo put a hand over his eyes and rubbed them, he felt someone sit down on the other end of the couch.

"You thinking about Aaron's blowout today?" Raph's voice asked.

Leo didn't remove his hand, "You can tell?"

"Well, you're kinda moping around all thoughtful and junk and that's the only confusing recent event that comes to mind." Raph sat back against the couch and said in a more brotherly tone, "You're blowing all this out of proportion, Leo. Don't worry about it; everyone gets mad sometimes; take it from someone who knows."

Leo was silent for a time, mulling thoughts over in his mind, "It's just that she's never really acted like this before. I mean, we all know Mike's annoying sometimes, and yesterday, too, we know she's a total girl power junkie, but still, she never just blows up like that..."

Leo continued thinking, his brow furrowed in confusion. He turned to Raph and asked point-blank, "Why'd do you care if I'm over-processing this anyway? Normally you'd just let me sit here as long as I'm off your back. What's up?"

Raph glanced back over the couch, "I'm keeping clear of Mikey. I can't stand listening to that old CD player screech. That boom box of his was in the dump for a reason. And I figure if he's already shown you over here, he won't be back for a while."

Leo grinned, that was just like Raph.

"Besides," Raph grinned back, "It's time to head off to April's."

Raph grinned even bigger as he leapt up from the couch and said, "You go get Don and Mikey, I'll go get the Battleshell."

Just then a faint sound of high pitched, electronic cries and wails came from Don's makeshift lab.

Raph smirked and scrambled off while Leo looked back towards the audio torture chamber and grimaced as he slowly made his way towards it.

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Aaron crept silently and swiftly into the entrance of the lair. She glanced sneakily around for any sign of activity. She strained her ears for any noise no matter how small. She heard nothing, and no movements stirred the silence. Satisfied that the turtles had really gone off to April's, she strode over to the punching bag that had assaulted her earlier that day.

She tossed her own small messenger bag against the small two foot high wall that made up the boundaries of the dojo and squared up against the punching bag. Thoughts whirled in her head. Recent memories of fights and arguments, constant pestering and irking, shouting, and disruption replayed themselves one after another in her mind. Reminders of events and incidents flashed before her. She saw her mother and father arguing in the kitchen while she tried to do her homework. She saw her brother swiping yet another precious item from her room without asking and returning it in a much different condition from when he took it. She heard her mother and friends criticizing the way she wanted to dress and the way she did her makeup and hair and her personal interests which included comic books instead of clothing and writing stories instead of playing with different makeup. Then she heard her mother nagging her about her chores and how everything fell below her expectations was. How nothing was the way her mother wanted it to be. Next her brother was back again doing everything physically possible to be in her way, making rude remarks, and just plain being annoying. Her father came after, always working, that couldn't be helped, but he seemed not to be apart of her life one moment and then trying to hard to be the next and then...the most recent of her parents 'discussions' came center stage in her thoughts. Her parents trying to plan a family vacation. The irony seemed cruel. They spent their time fighting to set aside a long span of time for their family to be together in close quarters.

A feeling welled up inside her. She tried to suppress it, but she'd finally had enough of it. She called it was it was; anger. And on top of it all, what made her angrier still was what was happening to her on account of the events in her life.

She felt herself becoming uglier from the inside out. She snapped and t her friends and family. She yelled alot and her temper rose at alarming speeds. Sarcasm had never been a foreign practice to her, but the new cruel and hurtful way in which she now wielded it was. She hated the way she acted but didn't ever catch herself until it was too late and the action had taken place or the statement said.

Negativity floated around her like a giant black cloud. It was magnetized to her and she couldn't seem to pull away from it. Even Raphael appeared to be nicer than she was.

The feeling swallowed her up again. This time she sent it shooting from her fist into the punching bag. It swayed from the impact. It felt good. She hit it again, and again. A kick this time.

She was no expert, no professional, she had no plans for which attack she would use next against the pathetic bag, she just kept hitting it. Whatever came naturally. Whatever sprung up from the heat of her rage in the moment. Her strikes became harder and harder. The bag didn't stand a chance. It swing farther and farther out. After awhile the edges of her vision began to blur, but she hardly noticed. All she saw was the bag. All she felt was the impact of whatever part of her was hitting it at the moment. She didn't notice a figure enter the room, she didn't hear the soft deliberate footfalls.

Her breath grew heavier and quicker, the fuel she was running on began to dry up. The feeling driving her began to slowly pass away until she felt her body beginning to tire.

Finally exhausted of all her strength she gave the bag one last final punch and sent it flying around in an arc. She sank down onto her knees and sat panting on the floor. Only then did she realize her face was tearstained and that she was still hiccupping and gasping for breath from a tremendous break down. An old raspy voice startled her.

"I presume you are finished, Miss Smiley?"

Aaron's head snapped up to focus on Master Splinter standing only a few feet behind her. She had completely forgotten about the turtles' sensei. She thought she'd be the only one in the lair. She thought she'd be alone to let go and have a rampant that would remain forever just between her and the bag. No one was supposed to be here. No one was supposed to know. No one was supposed to see her in this state. Not while she was flaunting these the embarrassing and petty feelings. The ones that she had decided didn't have enough ground to stand on to really matter. The ones she didn't want anyone to know about. The ones that no one had ever known about. Her eyes had widened in fear as if a big dirty secret about her had just been revealed to the entire world.

"I do not suppose that this is part of my son's training for you, is it?" Master Splinter solemnly raised his eyebrows. His eyes searched her for an explanation. All Aaron could do was shake her head.

"Come and have some tea. We will talk."

It wasn't a request; it was a command; but one she was glad to obey. One soft and tenderly given not harshly demanded.

Aaron nodded her head slowly stood and followed Splinter like a small child; even though she herself towered a good foot over him. He walked into the kitchen and gathered a few things. Aaron didn't take the time or concentration to see what they were and thoughtlessly followed him into his room. "For Privacy, once the boys returned home," he explained. Aaron merely nodded her head again.

There was a low wooden table off in the corner of the room. He gestured for her to sit while he prepared the tea. She gratefully flopped down onto the ground beside the table. Her mind began to race as she suddenly realized she would need an explanation for her being here tonight even when she knew the guys were away, and for why she had acted as she did.

After an eternity the old rat finished whatever preparations he had made. But when he came to sit across the table from her, he asked nothing. She watched silently and waited for the questions to come as he placed two worn tea cups onto the table and poured the steaming amber liquid. She waited for him to probe her mind. To try to pick her apart peice by peice and make her even more vulnerable than she already felt. She waited and nothing happened. He simply began to sip his tea and waited for her to do the same. She kept her eyes lowered and slowly picked up the cup and began to drink. Green tea. No honey or ginseng added. It was a it a bitter and acquired taste; thankfully, one she had come to like since meeting the turtles.

Once they had both drained their cups, Master Splinter refilled them and only then did he speak.

"I see much of my sons in you, Miss Smiley."

Aaron looked up at him quizzically, then dropped her gaze. What did that mean? Was it a compliment? an accusation?

"I see in you Leonardo's driven determination, Donatello's love of knowledge and the mischief and free-spirit of Michelangelo..." He trailed off, letting his words sink in. Aaron dared to look up into his eyes.

"And now I see Raphael's anger and rage."

Aaron quickly lowered her eyes again. Anger was bad. Rage was worse. It wasn't the correct way to be. One was supposed to be calm, cool, and collected. Nothing was supposed to rattle you. She was supposed to ignore the little things that bothered her. She had nothing in her life big enough to be worth flipping out over and yet here she was.

"There is something bothering you, you have tried to hide it, but it shows through your actions and words."

Aaron shifted uncomfortably on the ground.

"What is wrong?"

Aaron shrugged and tried her usual answer to everything nowadays, "Hormones, I guess."

"I do not believe that is the true answer, Miss Smiley, do you?"

Aaron shook her head slowly.

"Do you have any desire to tell me what troubles you?"

Aaron paused and stared blankly at a crack on the tabletop. Trying to find a way to explain herself. English seemed a foreign language. She could no longer group the words into phrases to explain herself or what was wrong. In fact she felt that maybe nothing was actually to blame and that maybe there was just something wrong with her mind. Finally she managed to break the long silence and mumble the words, "Idunno."

She felt Splinter's gaze upon her.

"You do not know what?"

"I-... I don't know what's wrong with me..." Aaron was silent again. Splinter waited for her to continue. "I'm- I've-...Everything upsets me, I've become super sensitive to whatever anyone says or does. Everything makes me mad and I can't seem to stop it or calm down..." She stopped again, not sure where that flood of words had come from. She continued; not thinking things over before speaking, just getting everything off her mind.

"My parents have been arguing alot lately. Nothing big or major, but they're beginning to yell at each other, and neither of 'em will get off their own inflated ego to agree with the other. They argue about hw to raise my brother and I and about money and other stuff. They swear they'd never get divorced but- I don't know... It's painful to listen to. I hear them when I go to sleep...I..."

She stopped there as her voice began to crack and her eyes watered. She closed them lightly to keep the flood of tears at bay. She took several deep breathes to calm and soothe her body as it tensed up; ready to shake with runaway emotions.

"And after that I have my little brother trying to send me over the edge." She shook her head, "He's not like Mikey, he doesn't do things out of fun, I don't know how to explain it...my brother does things just to spite me and then when I blow up I'm the one who gets into trouble for not handling it better, because I'm the oldest and should know better."

She glared down into her cup, trying to keep her face from giving into tears.

"And on top of all that," She continued, "I can't seem to please my mother with my personality. She's always upset that I'm not feminine enough cuz I don't want to wear skirts or take interest in putting on makeup or acting ladylike all the time. She doesn't understand me or why I'm the way I am, and honestly I don't know why either; I'm just not into all that girly stuff.I don't understand why I lack the interest. If I knew why I'd have given her an explanation long ago. I know she loves me, but I'm not always sure that she likes me. She's always telling me I'm the greatest thing that ever happened to her and that she can't possibly imagine life without me, but I still don't feel completely accepted, ya know? And now I find myself acting like this, like a-" She paused, thinking, "I don't know- like a big baby- I can't control my emotions anymore. It's not like I have seperated parents or live in a third world country where I get one meal a week or like I'm a victim of some disease or a natural disaster. That would be something worth getting upset over. Instead I flame up at every little thing and I'm constantly crying. I hate crying!" Tears began to spill down her cheeks. She roughly wiped them away to prove her point.

Master Splinter continued to sit silently, listening and watching as Aaron continued to fall apart. He nodded gravely to indicate that he understood and that she should continue.

"I can't stand feeling like this any longer, I didn't know what to do. So I came here. I figured killing a lifeless punching bag was worth a try; to make it all go away. I thought maybe- I don't even know what I was thinking, but I thought maybe- just maybe, it might help, but I was wrong. Everything's still exactly the way it was..." Aaron finally choked up. She couldn't say any more, There was nothing else she _wanted _to say, so she hid her face in her arms and sobbed.

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_Ok now that you've read it; it's time to Review! Review! Review! R-E-V-I-E-W! Goooooooooo REVIEW!_

_Criticism is appreciated. Honest opinions welcomed! Flames laughed at!  
_


	5. So, What Now?

Disclaimer: "Despiteful tidings! Oh unpleasing news!" (That's 'Shakepeare' for "Aww! I don't own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.")

_Author's note: Yes I am an evil author. I take forever to write yet another ittsey bittsey chapter that will hopefully somewhat satisfy some of my readers. (Not likely, but hey, I tried). I've kinda lost my inspiration for this story, but I am determined to finish it. Thanks to all for being so patient with my slow goings. Any suggestions at this point would be appreciated. Please submit them via email. My address should be accessible by my profile and if you can't get to it __(or if it's a really short suggestion)__ then I guess you can use the review . (Also, please write something about a suggestion in the subject box of your email or I may delete you)( and yes, that's BAD!) _

_Real quick in response to _**Katana-Babe** _: Yeah, I think I originally wanted Aaron's breakdown to come as a surprise because she's been hiding her feelings and pretty darn well up til now. I didn't really realise how much it really felt out of place, but until I figure out how to fix it, that's the way the cookie's gonna crumble._

_Special thanks to _**Virtual Wenrog. **_ha-ha your review on _"Good-bye" _just kills me._ _This posting's for you and your impatience. Small reminder: it wasn't finished yet, but I figured 'hey why not?'_

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"Aren't we finished yet?" Mike whined as he lugged another laundry basket full of wet stinky towels to the front door.

"Just about," Don said opening a window, "All we have to do now is get those rags washed and air out the place."

"Why don't yous guys stay a little longer, we could rent a movie or somethin' and order pizza." Casey offered.

"Pizza?" Mike's eyes lit up a little.

"Thanks, but we really should be getting back to the lair." Leo put in before Mike could agree, "Early practice tomorrow morning."

The other three turtles groaned.

"How about you come back to our place instead?" Mike blurted out.

"Yeah." Raph said, "But who's gonna stay here and house sit? Besides, someone has to do the laundry."

"Again?" Casey groaned.

"Dude! You can pick us up a pizza or seven, while you do the laundry, then head over to our place. It totally works!" Mike exclaimed.

"But who's gonna watch the apartment?" Don asked spoiling the plan.

"This place isn't gonna go anywhere," Mike said slinging his arm across his brother's shoulders, "It'll be fine. Besides this way we won't be here to break it again."

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Aaron felt Master Splinter place a hand on her head as she shook with tears. She tried to stop her crying, but the flood kept on coming, it was too late to turn back. The sleeves of her shirt absorbed the water that sprung from her eyes. She sat there for a while shaking and trembling.

Finally the well was dry. She wiped her eyes and nose with her damp sleeves and sniffled.

She dared to glance up at Master Splinter; awaiting an expression of disgust or perhaps even pity, which would only cause her to feel even more angry and disgraceful. But his facade held no such look. Instead he looked at her with solemn understanding.

A small clamor of four teenage turtles entering the Lair broke the silence outside the room. Aaron glanced at the direction of the noise. Feeling like making a break for the door, but not wanting the guys to see her and yet not wanting to leave the calm comfort of Master Splinter's room at all. She glanced down at her watch.

"It's late. I should go." She said half-heartedly, wishing to be sent on her way and stopped at the same time.

She got up to leave. Master Splinter rose as well.

"I believe you have found the problem." He said as if she had said nothing. Aaron nodded in agreement. "Now, what will you do about it?"

"Idunno," Aaron mumbled instinctively.

"As you also did not know what troubles you."

Master Splinter bowed respectfully and Aaron quickly bowed back before slipping out of the room. The main room of the lair looked deserted. Then she noticed three green heads poking up over the couch and a quick glance around the room located Mikey in the kitchen hunting for any edible object to his liking. The clamor that the three turtles were making on the couch and the deep concentration of the hungry turtle allowed her to creep through the center of the room unnoticed. Safely outside she breathed a sigh of relief and meandered home thinking about Splinter's words: _What was she going to do now?_

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_Ok y'all. Time to hit that little periwinkle button and tell me what you think. See the pretty button? It calls to you..."**click me! click me!**" Make the button happy.  
_


	6. A Solution?

Disclaimer: For those of you who haven't caught on yet... I DO NOT OWN THE TMNT! nor any of the movies named.

_Author's note: I've been wallowing in writer's block for a long while now and mostly because I intended to end this story like two chapters ago with a hanging ending, but it didn't feel complete so I just kept on going. Finally an idea hit me over the head. Thinking about bumping my rating up to T. Advice on this matter would be appreciated._

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed and sent me little bits and pieces for ideas that I'm now going to try to connect together and close this puppy up. Might take a while and a few more chapters, though. _

_Yay _**Katana-Babe**_! Ding Ding Ding we have a winner! I'm so glad someone finally figured out my title's message! _

_Read and enjoy, well...uh, actually... just read..._

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Leo sat heavily down on the beat up blue couch next to his brothers. Don and Raph were debating which flick they would watch tonight. Mikey was on the other side of the Lair in the kitchen gathering snacks. Suddenly Leo's sixth sense buzzed inside his head. He instinctively turned around to glance over his shoulder into the Lair to see who was there...Nothing.

Don and Raph continued to argue about which movie they were going to watch. Mike hunted around the kitchen, muttering about popcorn. Leo turned back to the argument and settled into his seat to watch the exchange.

"We watched Gladiator last night, Raph," Don pointed out, "Besides what's the point in watching it if all you do is fast forward through the good parts to watch the gory ones?"

"The fighting _is _the good part, Don!" Raph retorted.

"Why can't we just watch Brave Heart?" Don asked, "plenty of gore in there for you, and a good story line for me."

"Because I'm not gonna watch little men running around in skirts no matter how good the plot, how gory the fighting, or how awesome you claim Mel Gibson is."

"Oh, Come on!"

"Gladiator."

"Brave Heart."

"Gladiator."

"Brave Heart."

"Gladiator!"

"Sahara," Mikey interrupted, setting the disk into the DVD player.

Don and Raph turned to Mike as the DVD menu loaded. They shrugged compliantly, then settled back against the couch to watch the movie.

Leo smiled and laughed internally at his brothers. But he couldn't help thinking that something was amiss in the Lair. He glanced over his shoulder again. His trained eyes saw no movement in the shadows, his sixth sense no longer felt that quickly passing presence but something was...different...

He gave their home another look over. Then he spotted it; Aaron's purse, a tiny messenger bag, left leaning against the small wall of the dojo area, near the beat up old punching bag. _Had she left it here this morning? No, she hadn't brought it with her, or had she? _His brain began to whirr. _No, now he was positive that she hadn't had it with her earlier that morning. But then how would it have gotten there? Had she left it overnight? Nope, that didn't work either, she taken it to school on Friday because she had kept it in the Battle Shell during the toilet escapade... So then the only other option was that- _his body stiffened involuntarily- _She had come back. _

Now his mind flooded with questions. _Why had she come back? Why without their knowledge? Without his knowledge? Where was she now? Why had she left her things? Why hadn't she stayed? What the shell was going on?_

"Hey, Leo," Mike said timidly, pulling Leo out of his thoughts and back into reality, "I know your technically the oldest and stuff, but seriously, dude, if you don't think you can handle this movie, we can turn it off..."

Leo glanced around room; the movie had been put on pause. He then looked quizzically around at his brothers who were all staring, rather concerned, at him.

"What?"

"You should have seen your face during this first bit with all the diseased people and the guy in the black robes attacking what's-her-name," Raph said, "you looked like this," Raph made a puzzled and disoriented expression and then widened his eyes with fake shock and let his mouth open a little for effect. Mike and Don stifled a laugh. Leo rolled his eyes and shrugged,

"I was just... thinking...that's all."

"Well, next time you put your thinking cap on, shove it down over your face so we don't have to see your enlightening expressions."

Leo was too perplexed to argue. He just gave Raph a lighthearted shove as he himself stood up from the couch. His brothers all settled back into the old couch's lumpy cushions; too enraptured by the movie to notice Leo wander over to the bag, pick it up and slink out of the Lair.

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Aaron dug her house key out of her jean pocket. All the lights outside and inside the house were off, leaving the front yard pitch black. Her nose was still stuffy and runny from crying. She sniffled and rubbed her nose with the back of one hand while groping around to find the lock on the front door with the other. The metallic sound of the key sliding into the lock carried through the silent night air. The click of the lock resounded through the empty house. Aaron stepped inside and jiggled the key loose from the front door's grasp. She knocked the door shut with her foot as she turned flipped a light switch on and continued on farther into the empty house.

Her brother was at a sleepover (thank goodness he had friends) and her parents had decided to go out for a date (she seriously believed they could use one, perhaps it would release some of the tension around the house). Aaron had been left alone under the assumption that she had hills and mountains of homework to complete this weekend and would actually spend part of Saturday night doing it.

She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. As she walked past the huge mirror that hung on the wall across from the stairs, she straightened her clothing and fluffed her hair in an attempt to look like she wasn't a broken dam from a flood of emotions. Needless to say it didn't really help. Her eyes looked puffed and her nose was as red as Rudolph's.. She sniffled again, then proceeded to the bathroom to find some tissues. Of course there weren't any. She grabbed a string of toilet paper and blew.

Still feeling crummy, she ambled back into the kitchen to find a snack. Checking the time on the microwave, the little green numbers told her it was 8:26. She tilted her head in amazement. She'd thought it would be alot later than that. Maybe Splinter's talk hadn't been as long of an eternity as she'd thought. The reminder of the talk sent her back into a cycle of thoughts she'd been through over and over on the way home. Each finishing with. _What am I gonna do about it?_

She had no idea what she was supposed to do. It wasn't like there was some organization for stressed out teens trying to get through a perfectly good life. She didn't have parents that beat her. Her life wasn't messed up by drug addicted realtives. She wasn't bulemic or anorexic. She knew what one was supposed to do to find help in all those situations, just not her own.

The entire thing felt stupid now. Why had she ever snuck into the Lair? Why had she told Master Splinter of the trivial problems that plagued her? They weren't big enough to count for anything. She needed to learn to stop acting like such a sensitive baby.

She didn't want to deal with her problems anymore; wanted them all to go away. If only there was a way to get out; to escape from her life if only for a little while...

Aaron flung open the door to the refrigerator. A horrible idea hit her as her rested on the first contents she saw on the fridge's shelves. Multiple bottles of beer sat in the back. She shook off the idea with a physical shake of her head. _That was not the answer to her problem_...

She opened the fruit drawer and pulled out a nectarine_. Then again..._

No, there's a reason alcohol is illegal for minors to drink.

_But doesn't that mostly just apply for driving teens? You know, 'Don't drink and drive.' She wasn't going anywhere or operating any heavy machinery. _

No, stop! She had never had so much as a sip of alcohol before. But she found the smell of it, disgusting.

_She'd said before she wanted out, even if only for a little while. This could be her chance to take...a break, if you will. _

She began washing the nectarine in the sink and dried it with a paper towel.

_Alcohol wouldn't get rid of her problems just give her a little mental vacation. It's not like it was drugs she was getting into, right? People at school did it all the time. Heck! Kids younger than her got drunk every weekend._

She walked back to the fridge and opened the door to retrieve a bottle.

_No! _She stopped and shut the door like it was made of red hot coals.

_What was she thinking? _

She ran from the refrigerator sat down at the kitchen counter. The argument continued to go round and round her brain.

She bit into her nectarine.

_To be unaware of the world...for a few moments. Unaware of all the troubles and problems she had to deal with. Gosh, that sounded good... _

_No one would ever know. Her parents would be out for another few hours at least. They claimed they wouldn't be home until eleven or twelve. She knew, or at least she was pretty sure her parents didn't monitor the stuff. They'd never had a reason to. She could get away with one or two. Even more if she wanted, but doubted the need for anymore than that. Besides, she'd only do it this once, then she'd go right back to being the emotionally flailing goody-two-shoes everyone thought she was._ _Well, the goody-two-shoes part not the emotionally flailing._

She stood up and slowly walked back to the fridge. She pulled the door open one last time. It felt heavier than before and it stuck for a split second like it was trying to stop her. But its efforts were futile and the door gave way.

She reached in to take one of the taboo drinks. Her hand faltered and drew back when her fingers touched a bottle, like a last resort to cling to her conscience's wishes, but in the end her hand wrapped itself around the glass container and slowly removed it from its chilled resting place.

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_Author's note: I can proudly say I've never had alcohol and I think it smells disgusting, but this idea just struck me one day. I figured it would add a bit more drama and I have two ways I can go, both good options, But as usual I'm having trouble deciding. Your opinions would be most helpful; not that I can really ask 'gee, should she drink or shouldn't she?' that would be _the_ dumbest question ever, but opinions would be helpful to the decision process. _


	7. Broken Glass

Disclaimer: Take a good look at the last six chapters and you might just realize that I do not and never have owned the TMNT.

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Casey meandered into the Lair. Drawn to the exciting sounds of a fight scene. blaring from ten or so television screens.

"You guys started it without me?" he whined, plunking himself down on the couch and grabbed a fist-full of popcorn which he shoved into his mouth

"Had to, dude." Mike said not taking his eyes from the screen as man after man fell from Dirk Pitt's wrath. "Movie won't be over till 11:30 as it is."

"Hey," Casey said, looking around, "Where's Leo?"

"Huh?" Three voices chorused.

"I said, 'where's Leo?' "

The three turtles wrenched their eyes from the television and joined Casey in glancing around the room. Their brother was no where to be seen.

Mike turned back to Raph and Don sitting on the couch just as confused as him. "Where'd he go?"

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Leo crept through the shadows to the front door of the house. The entire front of the house was dark. He began to wondered if anyone was even home.

Ducking underneath the window on the top half of the door, he tried the handle. It was open. He slipped inside without a sound.

He crept down the hallway, listening intently for signs of other occupants. He noted that there appeared to be only one light on in the entire house. Before checking it out, he made his rounds upstairs; peeking into every darkened rooms for signs of life.

Finally satisfied that the only life form in the house was downstairs, he snuck back to the source of the light and peered into the room. It was the family room/kitchen. No one appeared to be there. He took another step forward; still no one. He took one final step into the room and spotted Aaron around the corner, with her back to him, taking something out of the fridge. She turned around bottle in hand.

Her entire body jumped as she gasped, completely startled. Her hand lost its grip on the bottle she was holding. It fell like lead to the ground. Upon contact it shattered to pieces with a loud crash.

Shards of glass and flooding liquid flew everywhere. Aaron continued to stare at Leo, the stunned effect not receding like it should when one recognizes a friend. He took a step forward to help with the newly made mess. All of a sudden she sprang to life.

"No, Stop! Don't come any closer!" She shouted at him.

He looked at her quizzically.

"Uh, um...," She groped around for words of explanation, "Your...your feet. You don't want to cut them on the glass."

"Don't worry, it's fine," Leo explained, "my feet are hard as rock after fifteen years going barefoot."

He set her bag down on the counter, "Here, I'll help you clean this up." He took another step towards the mess and stooped down to pick up a large piece of glass, overturned, with most of the drink's label printed on the other side.

"No! Leo, stop!" She lunged forward to keep him out of the area. Her foot slipped on a forming puddle of liquid, sending her off-balance. She fell forward onto the floor, instinctively spreading her hands out in front of her when she hit the ground.

She cried out as a sharp, searing pain spasmed through her left palm and jolted up into her arm, causing her muscles there to give out and she collapsed further down onto the floor. Before she was able to register what had happened, she felt two strong arms swoop down and pulled her up from the cold tile floor.

She managed to look down at her palm and gagged. Blood was flowing everywhere. Protruding from her skin was a sickeningly sharp, jagged piece of clear glass. The sight sent a wave of panic sweeping over her.

"Rags?" Leo asked, scooping her up, baby-style, and setting her in a chair at the kitchen table.

Aaron didn't hear him. She continued to stare at the grotesque wound on her palm.

"Rags!" Leo demanded.

"What?" Aaron asked weakly, snapping out of her thoughts and looking into his eyes.

"Where do you keep your rags?"

"Laundry room; below the sink."

"And tweezers?"

Aaron's eyes magnetically drew themselves back to her hand that lay motionless and throbbing on the kitchen table. The bit of panic began to arouse itself again.

Leo saw her eyes grow wider and panic beginning to take over.

"Aaron," Leo said, gently laying his large green hand over her wounded one. Her eyes snapped back to him. "I need tweezers."

"In my bathroom," she said, her voice unable to go above a whisper. He nodded,

"Stay here. You'll be ok, just...hang on a second."

He dashed out of the room to collect the supplies. Aaron was left to stare at the bleeding. The pain intensified; she gritted her teeth, shut her eyes tight and groaned. Before long she heard Leo reenter the room. He tossed a few rags and the pair of tweezers onto the counter and carefully tread into the kitchen. Watching carefully where he placed his feet. She heard the sound of glass tinkling as it slid across the floor in his wake.

Aaron froze. Her body stiffened and her heart pounded, hoping he wouldn't realize what the bottle had contained. She forgot about the stinging in her hand as she nervously watched his every move.

He flipped the faucet on the sink on. Water shot forth as he began to dig around in the lower cabinets for something. She noticed his beak twitch slightly as if smelling a strange but vague smell. His eyes squinted themselves thoughtfully. She held her breathe subconsciously and only let it out when he eventually stood up to his full height with a large, clear tub-a-ware container in hand. Testing the water he filled the container and set it on the table, then walked back to wash his hands and retrieve the items from the counter. Aaron turned her attention to the swirls of steam rise from the clear tub.

Leonardo returned to the table. Easing himself into the chair beside her. Wordlessly he gently took her hand into his own rough calloused one and began to dislodge the large piece of glass.

Aaron hissed as the stinging pain returned in a flash.

"Sorry," he muttered under his breath, placing the shard of glass on the table, flashing his eyes up at hers and then quickly back down at her hand. The silence reigned over them again.

a few minutes passed slowly ticking by as if each second took a day to pass.

The lack of sound felt awkward, especially having nothing to do besides stare either at him or her gory hand.

The bleeding had slowed and some of it had began to dry around the edges of her hand, but for the life of her, she could not figure out how he could see into the wound. poking around with tweezers, looking for extra bits of whatever that might have gotten themselves into her cut.

Another thousand years slunk by incognito in the form of five minutes.

The silence weighed down on her. Making her chest feel heavy with each breath and wanting to say something but finding her mind completely blank except for her worries, and that was the last thing she wanted to talk about.

Aaron shifted in her chair uncomfortably. _How come he was so silent? Why wasn't he saying anything? Had he figured her out? Did he know what she had been planning to do? Had she given herself away somehow? What was he thinking about?_

"Am I going to need stitches?" she finally mumbled breaking the accursed silence. This time it was Leo's turn to jump.

"Nah," he said, after regaining his composure, "It's not as bad as it looks. Watch..." He laid the tweezers down on the table, picked up a rag, dipped it in the steaming water and began to wash the blood, that now covered nearly her entire palm, away.

She watched closely as he gently yet firmly dabbed here and there. The red pool began to fade out and turn a sickly yellow color, which eventually faded away as well. Soon she could make out the two inch long cut on her palm.

"It's really not that deep either," He said, trying to keep up the sad excuse for a conversation, "you're pretty lucky."

"Cool." She answered lamely, knowing that was the absolute last thing it was.

"Um," Leo cleared his throat, "Do you have any hydrogen peroxide around here? Even if it's not too bad, it still needs to be disinfected."

"Upstairs; parent's bathroom; under the sink on the far side."

He nodded, "I'll be right back, and then I'll clean up the kitchen for you. Stay put."

Aaron nodded and watched the back of his shell as it disappeared through the doorway. She cocked her head to the side and half smiled. _He was sweet, a little serious and stiff sometimes, but definitely sweet. _

Her smile got a little bigger as she thought about the nonexistent number of guys she knew who could and would handle this past situation like Leo had. _It was almost-_ she stopped, afraid of using the r word. **romantic. **Quickly shrugging off the giddy, happy feeling she was getting as well.

_Must be from severe blood loss._

_But then again, how many guys would do all that and even offer to clean up the glass in the kitchen?_

She sucked in a sharp breath. _The Glass!_

She scrambled up from her seat and back to the mess of glass fragments. Quickly locating the one with the tattle-tailing label printed on the front. She slammed her foot down on the pedal to the trash compacter and tossed it in, hiding it under a stack of old magazines so that it couldn't let on to the crime she'd almost committed.

No sooner had she shut the trash, did Leo walk in with a brown, plastic medicine bottle in hand.

"What're you doing?" He asked raising an eye-ridge.

"Well, -er- I was wondering if you wanted some..." She glanced around at the cupboards, finally settling on one and naming one of its contents, "tea." She snapped her gaze back to his.

"Uh...sure...hey, uh... are you gonna be ok?" He asked.

Aaron's eyes widened and a deer in the headlights look came over her.

"Course I'm ok; why wouldn't I be ok? I'm absolutely ok." she said quickly.

"I meant, making tea one-handed."

"Oh," Aaron mentally kicked herself, "yeah, I'll be fine."

"Come on, let me finish your hand and then you can attempt to make tea."

He led her back to the table.

"I hope you don't mind that I swiped some cotton balls from upstairs, too." He said, "They're easier than rags."

"Oh, no problem, my cotton balls are your cotton balls."

He chuckled a bit. Aaron tilted her head again as she watched him splash a little bit of the hydrogen peroxide onto a cotton ball.

"This's going to sting a little," he warned.

Aaron shrugged nonchalantly. He dabbed the little white puff onto her skin.

"Holy Flipping Hamburgers, Leo!" She shouted as a fire burned throughout her hand, "You said it was going to sting a little, not like a whole swarm of killer bees!"

Leo chuckled again.

"Oh! so you think my suffering is funny, do you?" Aaron said, trying not to smile, as the mood lightened and the sting settled down a bit.

Leo smiled and shook his head. Aaron grinned broadly back at him as he tied a considerably smaller rag around her hand.

"Just for tonight," he told her. "To give it time and protection to heal."

"Thanks," she said softly.

"No problem."

The mood had settled down again. They sat there at the kitchen table, left staring at each others eyes. Neither of them breaking the gaze. A more accepted silence fell upon them. Making it the perfect moment for _something _to happen, _something_ having to do with that dreadful r word, but Aaron wouldn't have it.

"So! You want some tea now?" She asked hurriedly. And without waiting for an answer, scampered back over to the kitchen.

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Author's note:

_Once Again this was originally going to be longer but for the sake of keeping updated I figured I'd just split this chapter into two, post this and make the second half shorter. _

_It's not my best work, but its slowly moving the story along. Don't know where this is going in the long run, but I've got the next chapter or two lined out.  
_

_I know, I know, Leo walking in at exactly the right moment was a little tacky and obvious, but it's the direction I decided to go with. The other way would have been far more dark and dramatic. I figured I'd try to get a little more light hearted, after all my pen name is _**Aaron Smiley** . So_ Lemme know what you think. Oh, and if you spot even so much as a speck of Mary Sueism lemme have it! Being a Humongous, Ginormous and just generally huge fan of Leo, I find it hard to write for Aaron without running into some potholes._

_ ps. For anyone wondering, I did change the can of beer to a bottle, just because a can would not break if dropped, (unless, maybe, thrown at a thousand miles per hour and I don't think Aaron iscapable of that and would look really weird doing it)  
_


	8. Author Announcement!

(Author ambles into the lair and walks up to a certain, favorite turtle of hers who is meditating in the middle of the dojo)

"Hey, Leo, will you do me a favor?"

(Leo slits an eye open and immediately shuts it)

"Please?"

(Leo grunts an unintelligible response)

"Pretty pleeeeeeease?"

(Leo sighs, opens his eyes and looks up expectantly at the author)

"What is it?"

"Stand up..."

(He rolls his eyes, but obeys)

"Hold this..." (Author hands him a microphone that gives off a short, electric wail) "And face that way.." (She positions Leo in front of herself and hides behind his shell)

"Who're they?" (Leo looks confusedly at the small crowd of people who have magically appeared in the lair)

"Those're readers."

"Readers?"

"Uh-huh. They're the people reading my story" (Author whips a piece of paper out of nowhere and hands it to Leo)

"Umm, now, could you read this to them?"

(Leo skims the paper)

"Why can't you?"

(Author points to the gathering of people) "They might look like a small crowd, but they have some serious angry mob potential."

"What?" (Leo wrinkles his forehead in confusion)

"Never mind. Just read it." ...(She gives him a push and he stumbles a few steps forward. He glances back at her, seemingly annoyed. She smiles sweetly) "Please?"

(Leo rolls his eyes again and clears his throat)

"Ahem- After much thinking, debating and consideration, Aaron Smiley has decided to discontinue her story, Overflow, for the time being. Although she enjoys her writing and receiving your reviews very much, she has decided that the story is on the slow track to nowhere and believes that her time would be better spent attending to the other two hundred some plot bunnies that have invaded her bathroom and are slowly migrating into her closet. After finding that they cannot be flushed down the toilet, she realizes the problem must be dealt with immediately. Aaron also feels she needs to get her head out of the little Mary-Sue bubble she has created for herself. Until further notice the story will remain as is and unfinished on the site. However she does intend to finish it eventually, but not until she has completely rewritten it and made it flow (No pun intended). She apologizes for any inconvenience and thanks you for your time, reviews, and co-operation."...

..."Oh, and whoever owns the red PT Cruiser; you left your lights on."

(Leo puts down the mike. The crowd mumbles incoherently among itself)

"What are they doing?"

(Author shrugs)

"Dunno, but I'm not waiting to find out."

"Wait! You can't just leave them in here! What am I supposed to do?"

"Oh, don't worry, I have a way to get them out."

(She sticks her fingers in her mouth and whistles) "Hey, plot bunnies! Look! Authors!

(Plot bunnies swarm into the lair by the thousands, chasing, now screaming and squealing, fan-fictioners out of the Lair).

"Well, that's that. Thanks."

(Leo nods a 'you're welcome' and settles back down on his mat to resume meditating. Aaron waddles to the exit, dragging a dozen or so plot bunnies who have attached themselves to her sneakers and bottom of her jeans. Before she leaves, she turns around and says)

"You mind doing a disclaimer for me? Thanks! Bye!"

"But-"

(Mike comes clamoring into the room with Raphael)

"Hey, Leo! What's up?"

(Leo tosses Raph the microphone)

"Do a disclaimer; I'm going to my room."

"What?"

(Mike snatches the mike from Raph and booms out)

"Aaron Smiley does not own us; although we have been trying to pawn off Raphie, here..."

"Hey!"

"Just kidding. As I was saying, Aaron does not own the rights to any TMNT character and for that we are thankful. She is not receiving any money for her stories, be they finished or not, and again we are thankful. She does not own the red PT cruiser because she cannot drive and for that we give our undying gratitude! That's all folks!"

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Author's note: _Please don't hurt me! _

_ And don't bother reviewing..._


	9. Disappointed Bottlecaps

Author's note:_Yes! It's back! can you believe it? Neither can I! Finally got this story back on the road and I'm hoping you're gonna like what I've decided to do with it. I'm thinking I'll probably have another 2 or 3 chapters before I put this baby to sleep (figure of speech!) but that's just an estimate, it could turn into 1 or 16 for all I know._

_Man, I haven't posted for a while. So sorry for kinda dissapearing there for a while...sadly I must return to _'Nonexistant Land' _until finals ar over (next week), but I'll be back again someday! (why does that sound familiar? Whadda you think, Frosty? (me talking to a snowman) You don't know? ok...) (yes, lack of posting has caused me to go completely insane)(Don't let it happen to you!)  
_

_But yes! Overflow's back! I'm so happy! Excuse me while I celebrate! (Runs off to dance around and celebrate)_

Dedication: (Mwahahaha! I've found a shout-out loophole!)(I hope...) Thanks to **Canadian Pirate Queen** for helping me get back into this story! Thanks! (Hopefully I haven't annoyed you too much with my obsessive compulsive need to thank) ;-D_  
_

Disclaimer: I own the turtles just about as much as I own the Swiss Alps. You do the math.

---------------

Time had slowed. They'd stood there, wrapped up in a moment.

He'd held his breathe.

He was certain she'd felt the same things she had, and she had turned away.

Leo released a sigh of disappointment, his shoulders sagging a little.

_What should he have expected? Her to admit an undying passion for him and let her take her up in his arms and kiss her?_

Leo rolled his eyes at himself and decided that Mike had made him watch one too many chick flicks.

Across the kitchen, Aaron pulled down a mug from one of the cupboards with her good hand and then reached up again for another. She could feel Leo's eyes in the back of her head.

She slid the fingers of her right hand through the handles of the two mugs and turned around to face the sink. Avoiding Leo's eyes by staring at the floor and watching her feet carefully wade through the glass.

Leo sucked in and released another long breath, slowly heaved himself to his feet and made his way across the kitchen and into the hall in search of a broom. He walked into the hall and opened the door to the closet, returning to the kitchen with a broom in one hand and a dust pan in the other.

_After all, she has a whole world full of guys to choose from. _

He dropped the dust pan on the ground. It landed on the tile with a loud clap as if to express the building feeling of anger inside him with its sound.

_Normal un-mutated human boys._

He used his foot to hold the pan still on the floor and began sweeping up the glass.

_Guys who were fun or funny. _

Glass shards tinkled as the broom pushed it across the floor and into the dust pan.

_Guys who could take her on dates in broad daylight and escort her to school dances. He couldn't compete with that. _

He gripped the broom handle in frustration.

_He wasn't good enough. He'd never be good enough. _That thought made his blood boil.

---------

Aaron flipped the faucet on and dipped each cup under the flow of water in turn. She watched Leo as he stalked back into the room, broom and dust pan in hand. Once again the mood had changed...

She punched the button to open the microwave and, careful not to spill, placed the two cups inside. She shut the door a little harder than she meant to and tried to make up for it by pressing the buttons as silently as possible. Which didn't account for much as the buttons beep at the exact same volume every time they're pushed.

The two cups began to rotate to the hum the appliance made. Aaron leaned back against the counter, unsure of what to do with herself for a minute and a half.

She studied Leo's face as he stared down at his work, or was he glaring? she couldn't tell...

Still leaning against the counter she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. _What had just happened there? Why did everything feel so awkward all of a sudden? What would have happened if she'd stayed put and continued that strange excuse for a staring contest? _She had a feeling she had disappointed Leo somehow and he didn't even know what she had been up to before his arrival.

-------------

Thoughts relayed themselves over and over in his head. Continually ending with: _You aren't good enough and you never will be_. It wasn't true. It couldn't be. It was a lie. But the harder he pushed the thought away, the more it came back, and the more it came back, the angrier it made him.

"All we have is green tea," Aaron said peering into another cupboard interrupting his thoughts.

He grunted a bit of an o.k. At least that's what Aaron hoped it was, cuz someone had to drink the second cup of tea. And at the rate she was going tonight, she was going to be up all night from the caffeine.

The microwave beeped shrilly to announce the termination of the heating process.

She gratefully punched the 'open' button again and tossed teabags into the cups. Taking one over to the table, setting it down then going back for the other.

Leo stooped down to pick up the dust pan and unloaded its contents into the trash can. A funny smell reached his nose, but other than wrinkle his beak for a momentary second he didn't think much of it.

Aaron was sitting patiently at the table waiting for him to come join her. But he couldn't, he wouldn't just yet. Not till he got his thought and emotions in order. He had to be under control. He was a ninja. Ninjas kept themselves together. Didn't they?

He continued sweeping under the cupboards where it was possible a stray piece of glass might be hiding. It gave him something to do while he collected himself, but the kitchen was small and he couldn't keep sweeping and re-sweeping a perfectly clean floor, the last thing he needed to add to his list of things to worry about was looking obsessive compulsive.

All that was left was to sweep around the refrigerator. He was grateful to hear the scraping of some small fragments, too tiny to really see from five feet up, but still were there nonetheless.

He took a calming deep breath as thoughts continued to buzz around his head. He stuck the broom on its side as far as it would go into the small space between the fridge and cupboards. A large piece of glass and a bottle cap rolled out. He looked down at the upside-down cap. Doubtlessly from the exploded drink that was beginning to dry up on the tile. He'd have to remember to get it mopped up before he left.

Using his foot to steady the dust pan again, he swept the last of the broken bottle into it, the strange smell he couldn't name fired up again as he bent towards the floor. But his concentration and thoughts were needed elsewhere in his mind. He tossed the last of the fragments into the garbage. In it's short flight from pan to can the bottle cap flopped over to the topside and as he began to closed the trash his eyes skimmed the label.

_Corona._

Leo blinked for a second and opened the trash again. _No... _

_Corona._

_No, it couldn't be..._

He reached his hand down into the trash and picked it up, turning it over in his hand. The top of the rim of the bottleneck was still attached to the inside. This had been the top to the bottle that Aaron had dropped. He glanced up and stared at her.

--------------

Aaron watched the tea diffuse from the bag into the water. It wasn't exciting but it was something to do. She peeked down at her hand again. It was throbbing with a heartbeat all its own.

Suddenly she felt aware of Leo's eyes on her and cautiously turned around in her seat to face him. He was looking straight at her with an expression on his face she couldn't identify at the moment. But the evening had been strange enough so far.

"Aaron," he said softly looking down at something in his hand, "What is this?"

Aaron caught her breathe and stared wild eyed like a cornered animal as he held up the bottle cap between his thumb and forefinger.

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_Obi-wan-reader. Review! You're my only hope!_

_(note to self: sugar + late night hours equals really lame pleas for reviews)_


	10. Take a breath

_Author's note: Ooo!Ooo!Ooo! Look! look! I posted more!_

_YAY!_

_Thanks so much you all for reviewing! You should have seen the huge line of reviews I got! Wowee!Maybe I should discontinue stories more often if I'm going to get that kind of a response! I loved getting all your reviews  
_

_Specifically to_** Jhessill **_thanks for you compliment! I always get all jittery and fuzzy when people tell me they like my writing! You totally made my day! I just wished you would have logged in so I could have sent you a pm._

_Thankyou thankyou thankyou all!  
_

_Now enjoy!_

Disclaimer: Me is to owning the TMNT as Charlie Brown is to ever flying that kite.

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April slammed the front door to Casey's car shut and walked around to the trunk.

"Stupid car," she muttered, her fingers fumbling with the keys.

"Stupid keys," she cursed, fitting one into the lock.

She wrapped her coat closer around her body, shivering in the chilly night air.

"Stupid suitcase," she growled, trying to yank her the extremely heavy item from the trunk.

"Stupid show!" she yelled out of the blue. A couple on the street, passing by, stared at her strangely.

Casey was going to be _sooo _excited to see her; home a day early and extremely ticked off.

The seven hour away antique show she'd been going to had, for one reason or another, been cancelled without any notification. April was fuming. She'd been expecting to find some nice pieces at this function. Some fun out of the ordinary trinkets and some nice china sets. Instead she'd arrived in some small, forsaken, little town last night and was informed of the "unfortunate turn of events".

It had been to late to drive all the way back home. So April had been forced to stay in a grungy motel room in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. Being furious didn't even begin to cover it.

She shut the trunk stalked up to alley door and fit her house key into the lock. At least she was home now. Casey could have his car back and drive home while she slept happily, in her warm, snug, CLEAN and not smelling of old socks bed .

She debated just leaving her suitcase at the bottom of the stairs but figured one last hauling of the product of her habit of over-packing wasn't going to kill her.

There was a light on upstairs, but no other signs of life. She dragged the suitcase up with one arm, stopping halfway to switch hands. The suitcase slipped and almost fell back down to the bottom, luckily April whipped around and grabbed the handle on the top of it.

"Hey, Casey!" she shouted over her shoulder, "Give me a hand with this would you?"

No answer. She grumbled under her breath. If he'd fallen asleep on the sofa again with an open bottle of soda, she was going to kill him, especially if that soda was any color but clear and had gotten on the fabric.

She heard a crash from the upstairs.

"Casey!" she yelled, "You are so dead!"

Still no answer.

April got a little worried, maybe it wasn't Casey at all. Even being the big oaf that he was he would have popped his head down to say, "hi" and "What the heck are you doing back!"

"Casey?" April said.

No answer, but she could hear shufflings and noises. This was freaking her out. In her mind she imagined a million and one things that were going on up in her apartment; some of them plausible, none of them pretty.

"Casey?" She called again, pulling the suitcase the last three steps up the stair case. She cried out in shock and indignation.

Around the room ran, scurried and fluttered an assortment of New York wild life. Two pigeons, a squirrel and a few moths. April gaped at the bird poo on her floor and furniture, the upholstery that had been snacked on and various other messes around the room including her telephone that had been knocked off the kitchen counter and onto the floor only a minute earlier.

She screamed furiously, "CASEY JONES!"

--------------------

"You guys hear something?" Casey asked looking up from the nearly gone bowl of popcorn he'd been hogging.

The other three turtles glanced around.

"huh? no."

"Uh-uh."

"Nope."

Casey shrugged, "Ok-ay."

--------------------

Suddenly everything clicked. It all made sense now. Aaron's jumpiness, the smell...

He knew he was somewhat jumping to conclusions; but by the look on Aaron's face he was sure he'd guessed right, and he couldn't help hoping, with all his heart, it wasn't true.

"What is this?" Leo repeated.

A second wave of panic flew across Aaron's face. She groped for words.

"What is it?" Leo asked for the third time, a little angrier than he'd meant to sound.

"What were you doing with it?" he questioned, referring more to the entire bottle than just the piece in his hand. The questions were stupid and self explanatory, but he needed to know for sure, to hear it with his own ears, but Aaron wasn't answering.

"It's a bottle cap," Aaron answered softly, casting her eyes downward, not daring to look up at him.

"A bottle cap to what?"

Aaron didn't answer. She stared down at her hands in her lap.

"What did you think you were doing?" he demanded harshly.

"I don't know..." She mumbled.

What _had_ she been thinking? All the thoughts that had seemed so logical and made alcohol ok had fled, cowering back to their hidey holes, leaving Aaron to deal with the consequences of listening to them.

Leo shook his head. looking back down at the cap.

"You of all people..." he trailed off.

Something in that fragment of a statement caused Aaron to snap for the second time that day.

She was tired of people's expectations, she was tired of being labeled as the perfect child by outsiders of her family and then being expected to live like one by those in it. Even though everyday she failed in numerous ways, the expectations never detached themselves from her. they were like big fat leeches feeding off her sanity instead of her blood. She was tired of having to put up with her family. Tired of listening to arguments. Tired of realizing that she really wasn't in as bad a predicament as some and should learn to just suck it up! She was sick of it all!

"I'm sorry!" She shouted, the force of her voice knocking Leo back a step or two, "I'm sorry, alright!"

He stared at her a little strangely after her sudden outburst.

"You don't know what I live through everyday! You don't know what it's like to be me! I want out, Leo!"

Leo stopped any further questions and watched helplessly as Aaron words worked up and came flooding out, one after another.

"You don't know what it's bloody like!" She yelled, "To be in the middle of two people you love most yelling at each other, sounding as though they hate each other. You don't have to hear their voices, sarcastic stabs in the back and slamming of doors! you don't have to be there in the middle of it all. The yelling and the arguing. Being forced to choose sides even though you're told you'd never have to." her voice began to choke up so she shouted louder and stronger, "You don't know how much that hurts, Leo!" She was nearly screaming now, "So don't go telling me that I have no excuses, that I need to suck it up and get over it! You live through what I do or worse and then I'll take your advice, but don't you **_dare_** lecture me right now about things you know **_nothing_** about!"

She glared at him with an anger built up inside from suffering so many months. An anger so deep Master Splinter had merely glimpsed at earlier that evening.

"Cuz it hurts!" She screamed at him, a tear running down her cheek, "It _BLOODY_ HURTS!"

Normally Leo would have teased Aaron about her recent incorporation of English swearing into her Californian speech, but he stood motionless by the trashcan.

"Aaron..." He started to say, then stopped, unsure of what to do or say next.

Aaron sat at the table fighting back a second overflow of emotions, and losing. She was fighting down another flood of tears she didn't know was there. She'd thought she'd gotten it all out in Master Splinter's room where, even in her vulnerability, everything seemed safe and comforting. Out in her own kitchen she felt dangerously exposed and accused and scorned like a criminal, which she figured, was probably just what she deserved. Finally she couldn't take Leo's gaze anymore, she buried her face in her hands and her head in her lap and let go.

Aaron's stiffled sobs only made Leonardo more uncomfortable and unsure of himself. He needed time to detangle his muddled thoughts. A nice, safe, quiet place to meditate and figure out what would be best to do next.

"I, I need to go." Leo muttered dropping the piece of the bottle on the counter and turning to leave.

"What? Wait? Where're you going?" Aaron asked snapping her red, puffy tearstained face up. Her eyes flashed like a little lost puppy.

"I'm going home," Leo said expressionlessly, "I need to think."

"Think?" Aaron asked angrily, snapping back to her furious state, "I pour my guts out and you need to THINK?"

Leo kind of shrugged helplessly, "Yeah..."

"Fine! Go!" Aaron shouted again, "Go _think_!" She spat out the last word venomously.

Leo sighed he tried to say something, _anything_, but nothing came out so he turned his shell and left the room.

What had she expected? He didn't know what to do in a situation like that. He didn't know how to handle Aaron in that way. Saying everything would be ok just didn't seem to cut it.

At the same time he was mad. He was disappointed. He was alot of different things. Too many different things jumbled together into a sticky mass. That's what he needed to sort out before he went back to her.

When he had himself figured out he could help her.

Like on an airplane, if the cabin depressurizes you put your oxygen mask on before you assist others with theirs. That's the way it worked, right? He needed to put on his oxygen mask and get himself together before he could help her breathe.

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_Author's note: Don't make me be lame again! Just review!_


	11. Confused much?

_Author's note: Well, whaddaya know? I finally updated. 'Bout time, eh? Not really sure how I feel about this chapter yet, so I'm looking for you all to tell me what you think. (falls down on knees, clasps hands together and begs "Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease! It's been so long since I've posted I've been dying for reviews!") (ok, freak-out over: mental stability has returned...sort of...)_

_So ...yeah, that's about it. Oh, yeah, this is what I hope to be the second to last chapter, which means, yes, next chapter will be the last. YIPPEE! I don't know if that excites you guys (c'mon In know you're all squealing with joy out there :-) but I can't wait to get this lil baby out of the way. I got big plans for the next Aaron story, but don't expect anything to happen soon. Besides I gotta finish out "I Heart NY" (readers? readers?) (Ok, I'll quit my lowly begging)_

Disclaimer: The TMNT do not belong to me, myself, or I

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"Alright, where is he?" April yelled, storming through the entrance of the lair. She stomped over to the little party on the couch and glared furiously, arms akimbo.

Don, Mike, and Raph exchanged nervous glances.

"Hey, April aren't you supposed to be-" Raph started to question but was cut off by April.

"Casey Jones! There are squirrels and pigeons IN my apartment!"

"What? There's a squirrel in your apartment?" Casey asked confusedly.

"And pigeons!"

"How'd they get in there?"

April threw her hands in the air, "I was about to ask you the same question!"

Casey stared at her blankly and shrugged, looking to the guys for help.

"Casey, if you don't give me an explanation, so help me I'll-"

"Hey, Leo!" Casey exclaimed stopping April mid threat and diverting everyone's attention to the blue banded turtle who was shuffling quietly through the mouth of their home. "Where ya been?"

Leo stopped and gazed over at them, a sort of empty, confused expression on his face, before continuing on, climbing the stairs to the bedrooms and disappearing from sight without a word.

The group stared after him.

"Um," Mike spoke aloud softly, "if anyone else thought that was weird, please say 'aye'."

"Aye." the rest chorused.

"All opposed, please say- OW!" Mike cried out as Raph smacked him upside the head.

-------------

Aaron lifted her head from her arms and glanced around the kitchen snuffling softly.

She sighed, slumping against the back of her chair; staring blankly down through the glass tabletop.

Glass.

The irony was killing her.

She sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve. Her hand was still throbbing, but the pain had receded and the monotonous consistency of the pounding allowed her to forget it was even there.

Her face felt dry and arid from the salty, now evaporated trails her tears had left.

She'd finished crying for some time after Leo had left. How long ago that was, she couldn't tell. She'd retreated into her mind and the timeless warp whole that came with it.

She was too exhausted to feel anymore, Completely drained of both emotion and physical energy, just empty.

Thoughts drifted in and out, none taking a hold.. That night replayed itself over and over in her head, but she no longer felt angry. Not at Leo, or her parents, her brother, or anyone. It was strange, but at the same time rather peaceful, and Aaron liked that.

Her eyes drifted back to the cups of cold green tea sitting on the table before her, bringing back the night again. But this time she spied the second cup and was reminded of something else. _Leo..._

She'd messed up. Big time. There was no going back.

Leo knew. He'd seen her. There was no way she could face him again. Not after the way he'd looked at her when he'd figured it all out, when he'd seen what she'd been about to do...

She squeezed her eyes tight as a pang went through her. Something of guilt, disappointment and other emotions swirling around. She tried to suppress it, wishing it'd leave her alone, like the rest of her feelings. Life felt nicer without them.

_And then he'd left her..._

_That was what you get for trusting other people with you problems_, she supposed.

_Although, the screaming at him probably didn't help..._

She had to smile a bit at that; betting she could have driven a horde of angry villagers away with just her temper. At least then it would be good for something.

The emptiness settled in again. Aaron's eyes began to droop and she sighed contentedly. Exhaustion began to overtake her.

Deciding she'd much rather spend the night in her own bed then at the kitchen table, she pushed herself up out of her chair and dragged herself back and forth from the table to sink, dumping the tea into the sink and watching it slosh down the drain. She spotted the bottle cap on the counter.

She sighed and picked it up, opening the garbage can with her foot.

_Should she hide it under the trash again or just let it fall as it pleased and explain it all to her parents?_

Biting her lip, she let fate fall to the cap itself and breathed out in relief as it fell between the cracks of potato chip bags and paper towels to the bottom, never to be seen again.

That was that.

Then she realized the floor was still wet. The smell of liquor had diffused into the air. She couldn't help that, but she wet a wad of paper towels and bent down to mop up what was left of the mess.

Sighing for the umpteenth time that night, she straightened her legs and threw the paper towels into the garbage with the other criminal evidence and with the rest of her strength she forced her legs to climb the stairs to her room and threw on her pajamas. She slipped into bed, between her covers, shut her eyes and fell asleep instantly.

Anything worth dealing with could wait till morning. When she her emotions had attached themselves back to her like Peter Pan's mischievous shadow. And though they wouldn't have to be sewn on, she had a feeling it was going to hurt.

-------

"I think someone should go check on him," April said softly.

They were all just settling back into their previous mindsets, before the strange entrance of the eldest had occurred. She looked around. Four pairs of eyes looked expectantly back at her.

"What?" she asked.

"You volunteered," Mike said blankly.

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did," Don agreed, "You suggested it, therefore you volunteered."

She gave Donnie a hard glare. He always agreed with her.

Raph cut in as Donnie shrugged helplessly a her.

"Yeah, Don should know. Any crazy experiments he comes up with he knows he's got to do himself."

"But this isn't an experiment," she protested, "This is your brother!"

Blank expressions still surrounded her.

"Aghh! Fine!" she stalked away and up the stairs, stopping when she reached Leo's room.

She peered around the doorway. He was bustling about, in a frenzy.

"Hey, Leo," April announced herself softly, "You okay?"

He took no notice of her and flung open the drawer on his nightstand , grabbed a pack of matches and slammed the drawer shut.

April cringed at the loud crack! the sound made

"Leo?"

He kicked a flat straw mat to the center of the room and grabbed a candle off his dresser with his other hand.

"Leo!" she said with a little more force. Wondering if he was ignoring her or truly hadn't heard her.

He jumped and whirled around, candle and matches falling from his green hands and rolling onto the hard, concrete floor.

He hadn't heard.

"April, Hi, what're you doing here? I thought you were gone this weekend." He said and throwing on a forced a smile.

"Are you okay?" she asked now that she had his full attention.

"Sure,yeah,everything'sfine!" He said a little too quickly with a little too much enthusiasm.

"You sure?" She asked, stepping into his room and going to sit on his bed, "Cause you know, you seem a little...", she trailed off.

"No really, everything's fine. Just dandy in fact," He tried to reassure her.

"Dandy?" April raised her eyebrows questioningly, "Since when do you use the word 'dandy'?"

Leo shrugged helplessly.

April sighed, "Leo, you walked in here tonight, didn't even say hello, headed straight to your room, now I come up here and find you running around knocking your furniture unconscious in an attempt to light a candle."

"I'm just trying to meditate," he said defensively. He stooped down to pick up the candle and pack of matches.

April rolled her eyes, "Leo, I know you, of all people, love to meditate, but I can tell something's up; what is it?"

Leo set his mouth in a grim line and looked at her.

"I'm a woman, I have a special sense about these things," she gave him a small encouraging smile.

"I-uh, " he stopped to run a hand over the back off his neck, "I went by Aaron's house tonight and I caught her..."

"Who?"

"Aaron."

"Who's Aaron?"

"Friend of ours: girl." He stopped again and sighed, "Look, it's a long story April, and it's no big thing I want to bring you into-"

"Leo," April stopped him sternly, "I have the Central Park Zoo at my apartment, I'm in no hurry to get back there so you can settle yourself down and get used to the fact that I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on."

Leo folded his arms and scowled to himself. She folded her arms as well, matching his frown with a raised eyebrow and waiting smile.

Finally he sighed and gave in.

"Alright, alright."

"Good," She grinned putting her arms down and patting the space on the bed beside her, "Cause I'm betting I'll be spending the night here tonight and the only thing keeping me from killing Casey is my curiosity."

"Wait, what was that comment about the zoo?"

"No stalling!" April reprimanded him, "Tell."

He sighed and began the long explanation.

----------

"She was going to get herself drunk, April! Drunk!" Leo paced the room.

He'd long since gotten up from their talk and began to wear out the concrete as he aimlessly roamed the room while talking. He continually waved his arms in the air, using large hand gestures. Almost forgetting April was there with him while he talked out the end of the story to himself.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do! I can't exactly go talk to her parents and tell them what she's going through, and I have no idea what to do until that happens and now I got to wonder what else she's doing if she'd resort to drinking and on top of that I-" he quickly stopped short of saying _love her_. But still blushed at his almost-mistake. That half of the problem he'd keep to himself for the time being. He shook his head and continued on with the next sentence.

"And I don't think I can face her till I figure out how to fix this!" He flopped down onto the bed, back next to April, gasping for air, exhausted from talking and pacing.

April nodded thoughtfully, letting the last of Leo's words sink in, before starting her starting rational conversation the perplexed terrapin.

"Leo, did it ever occur to you that you don't have to be the one to fix things?" She turned her head towards him. He blinked back, confused.

"Maybe," she proposed, "you don't always have to be the one in charge of sorting out every last problem, that you're not responsible for handling _everything_."

April watched as Leo's face darkened in consideration of this new thought. She continued.

"Maybe Aaron doesn't need you to make everything perfect, maybe she just needs to know you'll be there with her while she sets her life straight herself," April said, patting him motherly on the shell, "After all, she's your friend, right?"

That hit him right in the soft spot.

"Yeah," me muttered, "we're friends."

"Or are you?" she asked, eyeing him and lifting an eyebrow.

"Of course we are!" Leo sat up straighter in defense.

"So then maybe think about how best you can be one." April finished, standing up.

Leo nodded, still puzzling things over in his mind, things seemed clearer, but still a large jumbled mess, he didn't know how to get out of.

"But what do I _do_?" he looked up at her for help.

April shrugged.

"Give her a hug, talk to her, I don't know, just let her know you'll be there when she needs you, you know? But just don't wait too long before you talk to her," She advised walking towards his door, "It'll just make things harder. And who knows?" She paused and added hopefully, "maybe she'll even show up here for practice tomorrow."

"You think that'll really work?"

She smiled and shrugged once more, "Maybe."

With that April slipped out the door and down the hallway. Having contained herself and remained civil for long enough, she stormed down the hallway back to the couch where her baffoon of a house-sitter was waiting.

"CASEY JONES! YOU BROKE MY TOILET? YOU. ARE SO. DEAD!"

Leo couldn't help but smile. He'd debated leaving that small part out, but if he was going to spill the whole story, he was going to spill the _whole_ story.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_A/N: OK, I've been going into review withdrawal, help me out here, guys...and gals_

_;-D_


	12. Oh yeah

_A/N: Ok, early April fools guys. I've decided to split this last chapter into two parts, so yes, you still have one last chapter coming. I just figured you must be dying for something from me (ok so that's just what I kept telling myself over and over and over, but...) and I was going completely insane/psycho from lack of posting so here it is! Besides 13 chapters sounds kinda cool. (shrugs)_

_Small note: Don may seem a little OOC towards the end, but I had to get him out of the room, so if anyone has any better ideas, lemme know! I'm totally open to 'em! _

_Special thanks to _**Jessiy Landroz**_ for pointing out the suddenness of Leo's almost admittance of extreme affection and helping me get him kinda on track with that thing. Hopefully what I did in this chapter smooths it out. And I got more in the next chapter!_

Disclaimer: I'll own the TMNT the day pigs fly. Oink. Oink.

------------------------------------------

Aaron didn't show up for practice that next morning.

Leo woke up that morning with a stiff hope settled in the bottom of his stomach, gnarling itself into a thousand knots as an irregularly early practice session wore on. Splinter had set his sons up for sparring. Leo against Mike and Raph with Don.

Last night, the three turtles remaining downstairs had hightailed it out of the room when they saw April coming down. As much as they loved a good spat between Ape and Case, they knew when to scoot. Somehow or other Casey had managed to escape the Lair last night with his life. No one yet had figured how.

In fact it was the topic of the conversation at the moment.

"How do ya suppose (_grunt)_ he did it? (_pant)_" Mike asked, deflecting on of Leo's thrusts with his nunchuks.

"Think he _(gasp)_ apologized?" Don suggested, ducking under one of Raph's kicks, and tried to take Raph's legs out from under him with a sweep of his bo.

Raph leapt up into the air.

"Are you daft, Don? We all know Case'id never do that in his life!"

"Wow, Raph," Mike chuckled, attacking Leo, "you can fight _and_ think up weird words at the _same time_?"

Mike continued attacking his older brother; Leo parried and blocked easily. His body was set on auto pilot while his mind whirled off in a galaxy far, far away.

Had he really almost told April he _loved_ Aaron last night? He liked her sure, but love? The unsuspected surfacing of the word worried him. He was barely 16, he couldn't be in love. He tried to shake it off, but it wouldn't leave him alone.

Why did he like her anyway? Why? Why hadn't she drawn Mike, who hadn't stopped hitting on her since they'd met. Definitely the ladies man of the four of them. Why not Raph? He and Aaron had both mastered the 'leave me alone or die' attitude. Or shell! Why not Don? He had the most experience with women, supposedly. He spent hours with April, talking tech and other incomprehensible gibberish.

But no, he'd gotten sucked in.

_Why? Why Aaron? Why me? _

Why? Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy?

It was driving him insane. So many questions and no way to answer them. Life should come with an answer book, he decided. Like one of those handbooks you can get to cheat on playing along with Jeopardy from your couch.

"Leo. Leo?" a voice tugged at the back of his mind, "LEO!"

Leonardo snapped his mind back to the present to find Mike holding his arms above his head in defense.

"Dude," Mike stared surprised and wide-eyed up at him, "At what point does _STOP!_ mean anything to you?"

"What?" Leo cocked his head.

Mike lowered his arms.

"Sensei gave us the signal to stop about thrity seconds ago, Leo," Don explained simply.

"And you kept going," Raph nodded, finding the situation as wierd as the rest of the family. "But then again with Mikey, I probably would have kept trying to chop him into little pieces myself."

"I-" Leo dropped his arms, the tips of his swords making clanks as their tips hit the ground. He looked around to see his family gawking at him, "I guess I didn't hear."

"What? Raph's music deafening your eardrums?" Mike said trying not to sound bitter about nearly becoming the equivalent of cucumber slices.

Leo just shook his head, more to himself than to his family and the question.

"I believe that is enough for today," Splinter cut in, "You are all excused."

Raph and Mike whooped and sprinted off to raid the cupboards for cereal and virtually any food as any edible substance in the lair was game at any point of the day. Don walked behind them at a more contained pace.

Leo sheathed his swords and turned to follow but stopped when he felt Splinter's hand rest on his shoulder.

"Leonardo. In the words of Confucius, 'It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.'"

"Sensei?" Leo knit his brows together in confusion. Splinter merely bowed his head in silence and turned to retire to his chamber for meditation before breakfast.

Leo watched him leave and shook the added perplexity of his master's words from his already befuddled mind.

--------

Aaron rolled over in her bed and wished she hadn't. Pain from sore muscles streak up and down her legs and arms, even in her butt. Had she the energy she would have groaned, but silent suffering was much easier. Having not yet opened her eyes, she basked in the glorious drowsiness that clung to her while the soreness receded slowly to a dull ache. Why was she in so much pain?

_Oh yeah_. Practice with Leo yesterday morning.

She yawned deeply and flopped over onto her stomach and winced as the her muscles flamed up again. Each trying to cry and shout above the others for her attention. Agh! Even her eyes were bothering her. She opened them finally and stared blankly out across her room at the pretty multi-colored spines of the books on her bookshelf. Everything looked alot clearer than usual. Why? And her eyes felt thick and dry. Why?

_Oh yeah_. She would have smacked her self on the head if her arms didn't hurt so much, instead she sighed heavily in exasperation and sat up, painfully, in bed. She'd forgotten to take out her contacts. Why hadn't she remembered? she wondered sliding out from under the covers and walking stuffly into her bathroom.

_Oh yeah. _She'd been tired. Really tired. She set the small contact container on the counter and filled it with solution. She recalled wanting nothing more than wanting to collapse into bed because-

She stopped. In an instant the night before struck her.

_Oh yeah._

She looked down at her hand noticing for the first time that morning the rag Leo had tied on it had slipped off during the night and the cut along her palm was beginning to scab over. She flexed it and wondered how she'd overlooked it. The pain in her legs fired up again.

_Oh yeah. _She'd had bigger pain to worry about.

Using her other 'good hand, she slid her dryed-out contacts from her eyes and blinked in her blurry vision. She groped around the counter for another minute to locate her glasses. Finally her hand bumped into them, wedged inside a basket of toiletries between her toothpaste and deodorant.

Last night felt unreal. Like a movie she'd seen long ago or a dream that hadn't really happened. And as hard as it was to deny the proof of the events of last night, her brain didn't seem to grasp the whole concept.

Sighing at her four-eyed face in the mirror she walked back into her room and out her bedroom door to make her way painfully down the stairs to the kitchen for breakfast.

----------------

He reached the table and slumped into a seat reaching for the nearest open cereal box Raph and Mike had left in their mad rush to get to the television with food in tow. Don sat at the table calmly spooning Lucky Charms into his mouth.

"So, where were you last night Leo?" Don asked casually.

Leo quickly wondered whether to answer directly or try to evade the question.

"Well I, uh..." he mumbled, "I went-". He heard Donnie draw in a sharp breathe. He stopped and quickly glanced up following his brother's gaze to the bottom of the staircase; April was just stepping out, hair down, clothing ruffled from sleeping in them.

Leo heard his brother swallow nervously and smiled. Donnie's 'hidden crush on April was as well kept a secret in the family as his own on Aaron. Thankfully and strangely enough, April herself had never noticed.

"Morning fellas," she greeted walking up to the table while stretching her arms over her head.

"Morning, April," the spoke in unison, smiling.

"So, what's for breakfast?"

She leaned over to look into their bowls and scrunched her nose.

"You guys won't mind if I make some eggs or something will you?"

They shook their heads.

"If you can find them you can eat them," Don said chuckling a little nervously.

Leo nodded and added.

"Mike might have left some extra toast in the toaster."

April smiled and nodded.

"So when did you guys get up?"

"Five." Don and Leo both answered robotically.

"Oh."

She began rummaging through their fridge. Eventually coming up with nothing to show for her efforts.

"Remind me to get you guys some more groceries," she muttered, checking the toaster and pulling out a blackened slice. "And to get you a _real_ toaster."

"Oh is it broken again?" Don snapped his head up, "I'll fix it, hold on."

He jumped up from the table.

"Oh no, Donnie, really it's ok. I'll just-"

But the turtle had already scampered off with the faulty appliance into his lab.

April shook her head in wonder.

"What's gotten into him?"

Leo stared after the traces of his techno-brother as well.

"I really don't know..."

"So," April said slyly, slipping into Don's old seat. "What are you doing about your friend?"

"Uh," Leo looked away, down at the table, "I uh..I was gonna go see her sometime today, maybe."

"Leo," April sighed, rolling her eyes, "I told you, the longer you wait the harder its gonna be."

Leo looked unsurely back at her.

"You'll be fine. Don't worry. I'll bet; being a girl and thinking like one; I'd want someone I trust to be with me right now. Someone like you."

Leo nodded in solemn understanding and stood up from the table.

"You know, cereal isn't all that bad," he said changing the subject.

April looked over at Don's abandoned bowl and grimaced.

"I can't eat that." she threw up her hands, "I'm sorry, but adding marsh mellows do not make something 'magically delicious' ."

_-----_

_A/N: Ok remember this is _**not **_the last chapter. Don't stop here review, even if I've never heard from you! (hey, I had to rhyme for good old times) (Hey, I did it again! )_


	13. Weird Weather We're Having

A/N:_Omigoodnessgracioussakesalive! This chapter is humongous! I swear it's the mother of all chapters! It's monster-sized! Ahh! Run for your lives! or be forced to read it!_

_Thanks to _**Virtual Wenrog **_who took the time to beta this whopper for me! Muchas gracias chico!_

_(bangs head on computer desk) But why did this chapter have to be so embarrassing? (bang) why? (bang) why? (bang) WHY!_

_Ok, let's make this clear. I'm about as red as a mad tomato after being dunked in a can of Raph's bandana-colored paint because I had to write semi-sappily and quite mushily for Leo and Aaron. I'm especially fretting over having to get into Leo's head for his reaction to certain things (him being male and all). Don't get me wrong I love sap, but posting it is another story entirely._

_(Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.) Ow..._

_So, I'd love opinions on whether Leo sounds realistic or not in his thoughts and actions. And you're encouraged to shout out any OOC-ness and Marysueness. I'm beginning to think I've got my head way to far up in the clouds that an orbiting satellite might hit it._

;-D

* * *

Aaron plodded painfully down the stairs, taking each step one at a time. 

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow ow ow owowowowowow."

Not a moment too soon she reached the bottom, hung a right, and entered the kitchen. Her brother gave her a disinterested glance from the couch as she walked through the doorway into the room. He quickly turned back to h is channel flipping.

"Sunday morning television sucks," he announced in a bored tone, settling on Animal Planet's The Planet's Funniest Animals.

"No saying 'sucks'," their mom reprimanded him from her place in front of the stove, all the while flipping a pancake in one pan and frying bacon in another.

"Good morning," she smiled at Aaron. She was a small woman compared to most, but she had the over-ruling authority and power granted to mothers. Rich brown hair, Aaron wished she'd inherited, graced her mother's shoulders. But she'd gotten her mother's eyes, which were a mixture of brown and green which was good enough to be content with. "Sleep well?"

Aaron shrugged, suddenly fully mindful of her cut hand. She lightly clenched it, keeping it out of sight.

"Yeah, fair enough."

"How was last night?" her mom questioned further.

Aaron stiffened.

"Was it fun having the house to yourself?"

_Did she know? _Aaron thought, panicking. _Had she noticed the bottle missing from the fridge? _Aaron had thought it'd never be noticed. _Had she thought wrong?_

"Uhh," Aaron stammered, her eyes darting around the room. She nodded towards her brother with her head, changing the subject and evading the question, "Hey, wasn't he at a sleepover?"

Her mom nodded.

"He was. The Maddens walked him back down the street about an hour ago."

"An hour!" Aaron exclaimed, looking over at the clock. "What possesses these people to be such early birds?"

"Maybe, not having _bird_ brains," her brother sniggered at her from the couch.

"Ha. Ha. Ha," Aaron mouthed mockingly, making a face in his 'general' direction. "At least I have a brain and not a _case_ of empty _space_." She smiled smugly to herself at her small bit of creativity in making the turtles nickname for Casey available for use on any victim of her choosing.

Her brother glared at her from under his mat of the shade of light brown hair they both shade, a near blond, "Well, look who's talking-"

"Guys!" Their mom interrupted threateningly, "knock it off and _be nice_."

She flopped the pancake from the stove onto a plate with a piece or two of bacon and set it down across the kitchen on another counter. "Order's up."

Aaron's bro kicked off the throw blanket he had snuggled around him and walked up to the counter, taking a seat at one of the stools. His focus was glued to the TV.

Aaron rolled her eyes at his riveted expression come from watching a dog trying to eat carpet and a string of cats opening various door knobs. She remembered fifth grade containing a little more maturity. But her brother was tall for his age, not that that accounted much for the lack of attention span or the ways to apply what little there was of it.

"Want a pancake, Sweetie?" Aaron's mom asked her, holding the spatula and measuring beaker full of batter ready.

"Nah," Aaron shook her head, " I've- uh- got alot of homework. I think I'm just going to go up to my room." She walked gingerly around to the fridge and pulled out the jug of apple juice and a glass from the cupboard beside it, "to uh, you know, to work, on homework and stuff."

"Are you all right, Aaron?" her mother asked, looking a little concerned.

"Yeah! No, I'm fine!" Aaron replied a little too quickly.

Her mom raised an eyebrow. Aaron felt her insides tighten anxiously.

"Did something happen last night?" Her mom asked.

"Oh no, nothing happened. Kinda boring, really," Aaron said shrugging, trying to act as casual as possibly.

"Alright," her mom said in a tone that Aaron knew meant she didn't totally believe her but was willing to let the subject drop for the moment. Aaron breathed out a sigh in relief; she was out of hot water for now.

Aaron filled the glass and stuck the juice back in the fridge. Making sure to place the glass in her left hand to hide the cut without looking conspicuous. Lastly she retrieved the box of Honey Nut Cheerios.

"So, yeah," she muttered, "I'll be upstairs if you need me."

"Ok," her mother nodded.

Aaron turned and scampered out of the kitchen as quickly as her complaining legs would allow and as fast as she could without looking suspicious.

"Don't forget, Church at 11:00!" her mom called from the other room.

"I won't!" Aaron shouted back, starting back up the stairs. Mumbling to herself as the stairs came one by one. "Ow.Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow ow ow ow owowowowow."

She huffed and puffed her way to the top, after having taken a small break halfway up.

Her room was dark from closed shutters, but Aaron didn't bother with them just yet. She rather liked the gloomy feel at the moment. She set her glass down on the bedside table and opened the cheerios box. Grabbing a handful and stuffing it into her mouth. Several fell to the floor. Straining she bent down to retrieve them. Finding the trashcan too far of a walk, she popped the contaminated cheerios into her mouth wit a shrug, _20 second rule_.

She drug her shoulder-bag backpack from it's exile in her closet and flung it on top of her bed, flipped open the flap and tossed a large spiral notebook out onto the rumpled bedcovers. She pulled out a binder and opened it to a random page and threw a pencil on top of that. finally she took our her school planner, worn and torn from life at the bottom of her bag. The page containing that past Friday's homework dangled dangerously, clinging to the plastic spirals by only a few unbroken paper holes. It threatened to rip off entirely at any moment, it- Aaron tossed it indifferently on the bed along with her other things.

Not that she actually intended to do her homework! As completely insane as she'd recently become, she hadn't fallen completely off her rocker. There was still plenty of procrastinating time left to fill, but for the moment Aaron just wanted to be alone. And studying was the perfect excuse to be left in seclusion. Having finished setting up a convincing background for pretend studying, she crawled up onto her bed among her things and lay back against her pillows.

She thought over last night, _again_. But this time, seemingly, with new eyes. She was calmer, not so exhausted. And rational instead of raging through a wall of pent up emotion.

She felt like an idiot for even touching that bottle, and even stupider for her verbal attack on Leo. Being unable and unwilling to actually do it physically, she kicked herself mentally for two, count 'em, two meltdowns within a 24 hour time frame.

But she couldn't help pondering his actions as well.

_She'd been hurt and vulnerable, how could he have left her like that. What kind of a friend does that? Granted she hadn't reacted very well to everything herself, but still..._

Her hands began itching for something to do so she reached for the box of cheerios and began to feed herself one by one.

_The worst part was the fact she'd let him down. He had license to look down on her as a disturbed little girl in desperate need of mental help for the rest of their lives._

Her hands were unsatisfied with their petty task and begged for something else to occupy them with while she thought.

Aaron finally gave in to oblige them. Closing the box and setting it aside, she leaned over the side of the bed, much to the dismay of the rest of her sore body, and drew out a sketchbook from underneath the bed.

It took her a minute to push her upper half back onto the bed.

She nestled back against her pillows and peeled back the used pages, images of her fancy, until a blank page appeared.

Aaron moved her pencil above the paper in small sweeps, preparing to draw as a golfer takes a practice swing before actually hitting the ball.

She stared down at the blank, empty void and pondered what to fill it with.

A mental image of Leo hit her. Just him, standing slightly angled, idly looking towards her out in the real world.

She shook her head as if to shake off the image and tried to draw something else.

The beginnings of a flower grew on her paper, but having never been good at drawing flowers, she quickly stopped her sketch. It looked sloppy and forced, which is what it essentially was.

She sighed and flipped the page to a new clean sheet and began to draw a dolphin, but quickly grew bored. She took a minute to look down at her work and assess it. The nose was too small, it's dorsal fin looked too sharp, like a shark's, and the eyeball looked like it belonged on a cute and cuddly Care Bear than an attempt at a realistic looking aquatic mammal.

She growled in frustration and pulled the paper over to another new page. After another misshapen object come out, she yanked the paper to another blank page and relented to follow her inspiration.

Her hand slowly began to sketch Leo's oddly shaped head, somehow managing to find the curves of it perfectly, then his broad shoulders, and next the plates of his plastron. She stopped when she reached his midsection to look over her work. _Not bad if she didn't say so herself._ Although his left side was looking a little weird. She couldn't place what she had done, or how it differed from the other side, but it just seemed wrong. Something was missing.

She decided to ignore it for the moment and come back. She struggled with his thighs for a while, first making them too tiny, then much too huge. She couldn't help smiling a bit at her mistake as she erased with the end of her pencil, thinking how funny he'd look with real log-sized legs. Finally finishing off what she considered passable feet, she looked over her picture again.

The right side (his left) still looked floopy. She still couldn't put her finger on what was missing and it was beginning to bother her. She pushed her drooping glasses back up her nose and began to erase steadily up the right side to his shoulder but, once again, left the redraw for later.

She huffed a sigh and went back to his face, drawing the lines of his mask and sending the tails to flying back behind his head, as if dancing in a small breeze.

Next she drew his eyes, making sure to draw the darkened ridges around them that acted as eyebrows. Once more she assessed her paper. Biting her lip she realized her looked a little too much like Raphael. Carefully dabbing with her eraser, she softened his hard expression. _Much better._

She started on the mouth. Intending to show him smiling she drew the top part of his lips, a slightly curved line, almost a smile in itself. She stopped, squinting down at the paper, then around the room. It was way too dark to be drawing such detailed features. From a few months of practice she'd learned that a simple millimeter of pencil line gone wrong could completely change a picture.

Tossing the book aside and the pencil somewhere near it, Aaron slowly pushed herself up off the bed and walked over to her line of windows.

She had four of them, each equipped with big white wooden shutters. Her room was on the second floor of her house, way over on the left side, if you were looking straight at it from the street. Only one of the windows actually could be seen from the street. the other three windows ran above the side-yard with a stunning view of a pine tree, some five feet from the window and the side of the house next door.

Aaron opened the first shutter, pressing her face up against it to get a glimpse of the sky. Clouds covered the sky with a gloomy haze, rain looked likely. She half-smiled to herself, finding it amusing that the weather wanted to copycat her mood.

She moved on to the next window.

&&&&&&&&

Leo crouched low on the roof above Aaron's windows. It felt weird to be out in the open during broad daylight, but he'd opted for a quicker trip through that sewers and such, undetected than shuffling along in a trench coat and fedora.

His stomach tightened. He did not want to go down there. He'd realized along the way through the sewers, that he'd forgotten his morning meditation and had nearly turned back at the first sign of an excuse, but figuring that April had probably locked down and barred the door to the Lair, he had continued on.

He was beginning to feel what he'd pegged as the effects of missing his daily routine, though. He felt jumpy and unfocused, he often felt that way around Aaron. Just seeing her set something off in him, a feeling he hated and loved at the same time; but now it mingled with a sense of uneasiness and dread.

The residential street was quiet. A strange change of pace from the normal New York hustle and bustle. But then, Leo looked up, the lack of activity could be explained by the nasty looking storm clouds gathered above his head. It was slightly disturbing how well the weather could reflect a mood.

The cold wind made him stiffen, wishing for the bulky trench coat.

He took a deep breath, checked the empty street for life one last time, and launched himself off the roof, down to a lower outcropping of roof tiling a story below, just under Aaron's window that faced the street.

&&&&&&&&

Aaron leaned over the top of her old dollhouse and flipped open the last of her shutters. An enormous flash of green rained down from nowhere. Startled she let out a small shriek and jumped back from the window, losing her balance and falling heavily on her butt.

"Is everything ok up there?" her mom called from the downstairs.

Aaron stared dumbly at Leo.

"Aaron?" her mother yelled again, "Are you alright?"

Aaron snapped out of her confusion to turn her head and yell back, "Everything's fine, Mom!" Then added sarcastically, "I'm just working on becoming the wonderful klutz I was born to be!"

She turned back to Leo and stared uncertainly.

Leo saw her shocked face staring back at him through the large spaces between the white wooden shutters and glass. He tilted his head, seeing her for the first time in glasses. It was- He snapped out of his assessment with a jerk, realizing with embarrassment he'd been just sitting there on the roof staring through the window.

"Hi," he mouthed timidly, raising his hand.

"Hi," Aaron whispered in disbelief, mindful most of her family was downstairs.

He rapped one of his knuckles lightly against the window.

"Can I come in?"

Aaron nodded silently, picking herself, gingerly off the floor. He noticed her wince slightly.

She hurriedly came back to the window. Her dollhouse was in the way so she wrapped her arms around the plastic brown Victorian and quickly deposited it on her bed.

Dust flew up in the air, tingling her nose. She wiped her grimy hands on her pajama bottoms and swung open the entire door of shutters away from the wall.

_Why was she hurrying so fast? _Aaron wondered to herself. She was surprised and even shocked to see Leo back at her house again, especially after last night. Though, she couldn't decide if she wanted to see him or if she wished he'd go away. She still wasn't sure she if she was even mentally stable enough to see him without an instant replay of the night before.

_The night before_. Guilt sunk over her, giving her trouble looking him in the eyes as she unlatched the lock on the window. She felt jumpy and jittery, too, as she pushed up the bottom half of the window to the top as far as it would go.

_Why was she so excited? _She continued to wonder at her hurry. _Was it for his safety? To get him out of the open and into her room, away from prying eyes._

_Yeah, that must be it._ It was only natural that concern for his safety would be the cause of this sudden drive to see him, she decided. Nothing more. Nothing less.

---------------

Leo watched her go through the whole procedure of opening the window.

He didn't understand; if one had the freedom of such a commodity as a window, to view the world, why one would make it so hard to get to, but then again, he smiled lopsidedly with a tinge of embarrassment, it gave him an excuse to watch her.

He studied Aaron up and down, letting the male instincts and his ninja alertness mingle. Taking note of her mismatched t-shirt sporting a Kim Possible logo and light blue flannel pajama bottoms covered in Paul Franc monkey faces. Then the male instincts took over. He let his eyes wander up her figure hidden beneath her baggy clothing. She reached up to unlock the window and he caught sight of the skin across her midriff. Just the sight of it triggered a rush of blood, making him flush with warmth. As a turtle living down in the sewers he didn't get a lot of exposure to women, and even the slightest amount of skin could set an alarm off in his brain. He swallowed nervously. Then the honorable ninja returned to him, suppressing the male instincts fun. He averted his eyes to her face which was just looking up to meet his as she pushed the window up as far as it would go.

"Help me with the screen," she told him.

He tried to read her mood off the tone of her voice or the expression on her face, but both seemed empty and at most, confused. A few rain drops began to sprinkle around him. One or two dropping on his head and the rest of his body.

Aaron unlatched the black screen from its small locks along the bottom of the window, pushing it out for Leo to hold while she undid the top. Coming free, it popped out into his hands. He turned the screen sideways and slid it back through the window to her. The clouds spewed out larger droplet of water, faster and faster as each second ticked by.

Leonardo stuck his head through the window. The silence that had fallen to familiarly between Aaron and himself bothered him. The need to say something, _anything_, nagged at him as he felt her stare soundlessly at him come through the window.

"Uhh, cute glasses." he stammered, slowly pulling himself over the large dresser the dollhouse had stood on.

Aaron's hand flew up to her face.

"Oh!" Realizing the pair of frames was indeed resting on her nose. She gasped, "I'll be right back!" and turned to dash to her bathroom.

"Wait," Leo called, "I didn't mean-"

She turned around and Leo thought she'd heard him, until he realized she'd only stopped to pull some kind of cloth, that she tried her best to hide from his view, out of a drawer and dash back into the bathroom.

He rolled his eyes and huffed, sticking uncomfortably halfway in and halfway out of the room.

"Next time, we do this _feet_ first," he mumbled to himself. Rain drops were dotting his legs outside.

He finished and finished scrambling through the window and dusted himself off, remembering to shut the window. Turning around to face the bed. He wrinkled his beak, it was a mess, books everywhere. How could she possibly study like that? Then a certain page on the bed caught his eye. He leaned closer, it was a picture. Of him! or one of his brothers, at least. He looked compellingly at it, quickly trying to figure who it was and even more importantly why she'd been drawing him -erm- _them_ in the first place!

He heard the bathroom door unclick and jumped back, pretending to re-dust himself off.

Aaron came back, blinking hard and wiping some liquid form her eyes; glasses and evasive cloth no where in sight.

"Ok, I'm good, now." she said, climbing up onto her bed, around the dollhouse, catching sight of the sketch book and quickly flipping her work over, praying Leo hadn't seen it.

Leo stood next to the bed in the small bit of space it didn't take up in the cozy little bedroom, unsure what to do with himself, now that he was actually here.

"So, how're you," he began uncertainly.

"Good," she nodded, attempting to look convincing of her statement, "You?"

"Good."

Aaron felt like shrinking under his gaze. _Was he thinking about last night. Was he here to condemn her? To pity her? What? _She felt a small wave of anger wash over her defensively.

Yes, something like that _must_ be why he'd come back. She couldn't think of any reason plausible enough besides these ones she didn't want to hear.

"How's your hand?" Leo asked, knowing he was quickly running out of conversation topics.

"Good." She flaunted it in front of her. So, he was thinking about last night! Her chest tightened. _Perfect. Just Perfect._

She reached over to her bedside table, picked up her glass of juice.

An nervous reflex in Leo made him jerk at the color of the drink.

Aaron watched Leo eye her and the amber liquid warily.

"Relax, it's apple juice," she reassured him before taking a sip. Her suspicions practically confirmed. "You can check it if you like."

Leo nodded his head slightly, reaching out his own hand and to take the glass, raise it to his beak and sniff. The sweet, sugary aroma of apples rose to meet him. He felt himself relax in relief. He then glanced away and absently nodded his head as he handed the drink back. Meanwhile her chest tightened angrily.

"Glad to see you still trust me," Aaron commented sarcastically, catching his eye again as she replaced the glass on her bedside table.

"Aaron," he sighed apologetically. He could have smacked himself. He'd just made a big mistake.

"No, it's alright, I get it." Aaron interrupted quickly and irritably, "After last night, why wouldn't you be suspicious? You've got every right to question. In fact," her voiced turned sour, "Why don't you even get Don to install some video cameras? Then you can keep an eye on me 24/7. And you'd never have to worry about me messing up ever again." She glared at him.

"Aaron," Leo sighed again. He was obviously in dangerous territory if her emotions could go from calm and mild to an exploding volcano in five seconds flat.

"No, don't sigh like that," she growled, trying to keep her voice down so as not to be heard from the downstairs but angry all the same. "I'm not some kid you've got to explain the importance of right choices to, Leo. I know I messed up last night, I can't stop thinking about it! I was stupid, I was weak and pitiful and rash and- and- ugh! there's not even a word for what I was! At least not one I'm allowed to use. But I don't need _you_ to tell me what I already know!" She glared daggers at him.

"Aaron," Leo sighed again.

"Quit doing that!" she hissed at him, "You got something to say, say it. If you don't then-"

"Look, last night I got-" he paused, searching for the right word, "overwhelmed."

Aaron stayed silent, listening, but still scowling.

"But I ended up talking to April last night-"

"The gal who's toilet erupted?"

Leo nodded his head, "She managed-"

"_She_ knows?" Aaron exclaimed.

"Well, yeah," Leo admitted, shrugging, "But she talked some sense into me-"

"Man, Leo, who else did you tell?" Aaron exploded. "Your brothers must think I'm an absolute nut case! And Splinter," she groaned, burying her face into the pillows behind her, "I don't even want to know what he must think!"

"No," Leo tried to reason, "I didn't- Look, I only told April. She talked with me; she got me to understand-"

"What? That I'm insane?"

"No!" He sighed in frustration, "Stop, Aaron. Just stop!"

Aaron clamped her mouth shut.

"Aaron?" her mother's voice trailed up from the downstairs. "Is everything alright? What's going on up there."

Aaron's head snapped up.

"Uhh, everything's fine Mom!" she shouted. "It's just my radio!"

"Alright," the I'm-not-sure-you're-telling-the truth-but-I'll-let-it-slide tone yelled back.

"Ok!" Aaron yelled, breathing a sigh of relief. Then she turned back to Leo who had brought a hand up to his head and was presently rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

"I didn't come here to point my finger at you," Leo said, slightly muffled by his hand.

_Then what are you here for?_ she wanted to shout, but literally bit her tongue and waited.

"Look, can we start this over?" he asked, bringing his hand down to his side. "I'll walk in there," he pointed to her bathroom, "And when I come back, we pretend that this whole conversation never happened. That way we can start from scratch., ok?"

Aaron looked at him skeptically, "Somebody's been watching way too many movies..."

"Aaron, please," Leo pleaded, "Let's just try it."

Aaron rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she relented.

Leo nodded solemnly, acknowledging her agreement to surrender their fight and slipped quickly through the door at the end of the room, shutting it softly behind him. He counted to three in his head and cracked it open.

"You do realize you entered through the window originally, right?" Aaron pointed out before he had even finished opening the door.

"Aaron," Leo said flatly, "It's raining."

"But that's the way you came in," she protested stubbornly.

He sighed, getting annoyed, "Could you use your imagination, please?"

Aaron shrugged, "Well, as long as we're already pretending, I might as well."

"Thank you."

Leo slipped back through the door and re-reentered.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"How're you?"

"Good, you?"

"Good."

"How's your hand?"

Aaron wiggled her hand in front of him again, "S'fine."

There was a long pause. Leo gestured toward the glass of apple juice waiting for Aaron to pick it up.

Aaron gave him a look, "You're kidding, right?"

Leo shook his head and gestured again.

She sighed, picked it up, took a sip, and held it out.

"Would you like to sniff my juice?"

She fought hard not to smile at the oddness of the sentence, stubbornly continuing her glare. Leo waved it away with his hand while shaking his head.

"No, I trust you."

Aaron glanced up at him skeptically, unsure if he really meant what he'd just said or if he was just trying to appease her.

"You do, do you?"

Leo nodded solemnly.

"I'm sorry, Aaron." he whispered softly, out of the blue. He saw Aaron jerk slightly and caught her eyes flash angrily. He wondered what he'd done wrong.

"You're sorry?" she snapped and then scoffed, "You're sorry." She seemed to ponder this thought for a few seconds then growled, "What do you have to be sorry for? What did you do? You're not the one I hear arguing at night. You're not the one driving me to insanity. You're not the one who tried to get yourself drunk last night and you're not the one who exploded into an uncontrollable firework show!"

"No, Aaron, listen to me!" He pleaded, staring hard at her, "I _am_ sorry. I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. I'm sorry you're parents are fighting and your brother's driving you up the wall, I'm sorry you're struggling and I'm sorry I walked out on you last night."

Leo sighed softly, desperately hoping he sounded as sincere as he felt.

"Look, Aaron, we both messed up yesterday, alright? You shouldn't have been trying to get _drunk_, but I shouldn't have just left you like I did. I'm sorry."

He finished his apology with the umpteenth 'sorry' and waited anxiously for Aaron's reaction, watching her closely.

Her eyes softened and searched his face for a moment in guarded disbelief. They continued to dart uncertainly before moving on to glance about empty space. Her face had shifted into a thoughtful brooding expression. She shifted her weight uncomfortably. Glancing around, focusing on his face for a moment, then quickly glancing away again.

She wasn't sure what to do. This was all too much too fast. His apology had jumped out at her unexpectedly and it confused her. The balloon of hot air inside her, heating her anger and livid words had _deflated_, leaving her with nothing to defend herself with or against. And there Leo was, staring at her, waiting, for what? What could she possibly say now? What was there to do? She had no ideas for dealing with this situation. Her mind was drawing a blank. Without a blaze of righteous fury behind it she had nothing.

He was supposed to accuse her! Not apologize! He was supposed to be judgmental and look down on her! Then she could do her part by defending herself, yelling, screaming, and lashing out at the injustice of his views. He was supposed to be wrong, but in truth, she knew she was.

_He wanted peace...He apologized..._

Nothing was making sense anymore, nothing seemed clear. She shook her head. This was all going to take alot of sorting out.

_But she didn't WANT to sort it out! She wanted it to go away!_

Everything was a mess, but at the same time it looked as though maybe it wasn't. She was exhausted, but strangely enough, she thought that perhaps she wasn't that either. She was angry, but also not. She was overwhelmed, but she wasn't. It was all so confusing, but it wasn't.

She released her confused frustration in an audible sigh, bowed her face away from his view, and stared down trying to penetrate the white bedspread with her glare. She could feel her body trembling involuntarily. Her vision blurred from the tears that were beginning to stream down her cheeks.

It wasn't until she put hands to her face did Leo realize...

She was crying, _again_.

* * *

Leo glanced around uncertainly. Females confused him, they made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

What had he done? Why was she crying?

He inched closer and stiffened as he heard her taking short, hiccupping breaths.

"Aaron?" he said softly and timidly.

She didn't respond. A minute ticked by. Leo shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"Aaron?" He tried again.

Still no answer.

Leo bit his lip nervously. What was he supposed to do? Escaping was obviously out and standing there wasn't helping either.

He took a deep breath, plucked up his courage and prayed he was making the right choice.

Stepping further towards the bed, he quietly moved the dollhouse to the floor, turned and sat down in the empty space, and moved himself closer to Aaron. He could see her shaking ever so slightly.

He reached his arm out and placed it on her back in a comforting gesture. Aaron stiffened beneath it and he quickly drew back.

A couple minutes passed as he stared helplessly at her, not knowing how to help.

Slowly and cautiously he tried again, reaching his arm out and this time wrapping it around her. He held his breath anxiously. She didn't rebuke it this time. Pleased with his success, Leo dared go a step further and gently used the arm around her shoulders to pull her to him. She, almost willing, sank into his arms. Her face buried itself in his shoulder. Leo stiffened in surprise at the touch of her skin pressing itself to his as she huddled against him. He stared stunned at the head of hair below his. The realization of what had just happened in that moment hit him. Being unable to help it, he smiled slightly, releasing his tension in one slow breath while bending his head down and letting it lean on hers. He held her to protectively to his plastron, feeling her holding on to him instinctively as well. One green hand stayed around her backside while the other reached up to stroke her hair until, all to soon for Leo, Aaron's tears died down and she broke away from him, returning to her former self.

"Ugh! I've got to stop doing this!" She said fiercely wiping the tears from her face. "I'm worse than a bloody soap opera!"

Her glance flicked nervously back at Leo who was looking sadly back at her.

"What?" she asked defensively.

"Aaron," he looked troubledly at her, "when are you going to see this tough girl act isn't getting you anywhere?"

Her eyes narrowed guarded and questioning.

"You're obviously not ok," Leo explained softly, "You can't keep going around with all this emotional baggage."

Aaron's eyes flicked downward, another grim frown on her face.

"It's not baggage," She mumbled defensively.

Leo shook his head, "It is too. Whether you admit it or not. But you've got to get it all out; talk to someone about it." He shrugged, "Cry even."

Aaron's eyes snapped up fiercely. Leo held up his hands in defense.

"Crying isn't bad, you know."

"Yes, it is." Aaron shut her eyes a moment, pausing, "Crying shows you're weak." She paused again. "You cry when you can't handle stuff." She turned back to him, "_I _can handle _stuff_!"

Leo raised his eye-ridges. Aaron would have loved nothing more than to have slapped that look off his face.

"I'm fine!" She insisted fiercely.

"Aaron? _What_ is going on up there?" Her mother yelled.

Aaron stiffened, "Uh, I'm uhh...working on a monologue for my acting class!"

Her mother sighed, "O-kay." Still, she didn't sound completely convinced.

Leo sighed, "All I'm saying is that you need to stop keeping your emotions so pent up because you don't want people to see them. Crying is ok, it isn't for the weak. I mean, even Raph cries..._sometimes_." He added. "And-" Leo hesitated slightly, "If you ever want someone to talk to, I want you to know, I'll always be here," he shrugged, "you know," he stopped again. "If you need me I'm your turtle." He smiled slightly glancing back in her direction.

Aaron looked out across her room through her line of windows, sighed, then remarked, trying to sound serious, "This keeps sounding more and more like a season finale to some soap." She turned her head to him. "I'm telling you we could make some money offa this if we sent in this as a screenplay. I swear all we need is an evil twin, a doctor to announce some one of us has a fatal disease and someone to cheat with their sister's in-law's son's cousin. Would you care to audition for _Days of Our Lives_?"

Leo looked at her sternly, not amused by her diversion of the subject.

She smiled, pleadingly, "_Passions_?"

Leo rolled his eyes.

"Ok, that's a no. How do feel about drama shows? They're close enough. _Beautiful People_? _Wild Fire_? _The OC_? _Gilmore Girls_? Any of 'em?"

She tried grinning larger.

"Be serious, Aaron," Leo said flatly.

She sighed and glanced away.

"Alright." She glared into space. Her shoulders fell and she slumped in defeat. "I hate to admit it...but you're right."

Silence fell again. Neither of them knew what to do with it and sat thinking to themselves until Leo spoke softly,

"Anything you want to talk about?"

Aaron shook her head.

"Anything I shouted, yelled, screamed and/or shrieked at you in the past twenty-four hours pretty much covers it."

She glanced over at him and blushed a little, a small genuine smile on her face.

"So we're good?" Leo asked.

She nodded, "We're good."

"Wait-" she stopped, remembering something, "Raph _cries_?"

Leo nodded, "Titanic gets him every time." He glanced worriedly at her. "But, uh, don't tell him I told you."

Aaron giggled.

"Hey, look." She turned to stare out the window, "it stopped raining." She laughed again, "It's even sunny."

Leo gazed out the window.

"We are having really creepy weather," he remarked, wrinkling his nose at the sudden change in conditions.

"Not really," Aaron smiled, getting off the bed, "Just this week."

Leo shook his head at her, "That doesn't make any sense."

Aaron shrugged, "No. But it is true."

Leo rolled his eyes.

"Aar-on!" Her mother's voice yelled from downstairs once more. "It's time to get ready for Church!"

"Ok-aay!" Aaron shouted back.

"I guess I'd better get going then." Leo stood up from the bed, finding Aaron in his way to the window. There was a moment of blushing and confusion as their bodies were forced close together in the tight space between the bed and the wall when he slid past her.

"Bye," he said quickly slipping through the open window.

"Bye." she repeated, following behind him to shut it.

He turned to scout the neighborhood for any more signs of activity before he slunk down to the nearest manhole.

"Leo?" He heard Aaron say his name softly behind him.

"Yeah?" he asked turning around, seeing her with her head poking out the window.

Aaron bit her lip a moment then said softly, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." he nodded back.

"So," she continued, "Does that mean I can come back for ninja lessons?" She smiled.

Leo nodded, "On one conditioned."

Aaron frowned, "What's that?"

"Don't call them ninja lessons."

Aaron smirked to herself and shrugged, "Maybe."

Before he had a chance to retort, she ducked back into her room and shut the window. She couldn't help the big, loopy grin on her face. Something in her felt goofy, like she'd sucked in too much helium from a balloon and was a tad lightheaded.

Peering back through the glass she watched Leo leap off the roof, landing somewhere below she couldn't see and somehow manage to slip away in the shadows of broad daylight.

_He's good._ Aaron thought to herself. The goofy smile grew bigger.

------------

"Yo, Leo!" Raph called as soon as the blue banded terrapin stepped into the lair. "Where ya been?"

"Uh... no where." Leo mumbled.

"Well, get you green butt in the battle shell, we're going to April's." Raph growled, uninterested in Leo's lack of detail.

"Why?" Leo asked.

"Remember Casey?" Raph snapped.

"Unfortunately yes" Leo nodded smiling, wondering what the big bonehead had done to tick Raph off so bad.

"Well, you can wipe that grin off'a your face cuz the shell fer' brains volunteered us to clean April's apartment _again_!" Raph threw his hands in the air, storming off.

"Raphie's in a bit of a bad mood," Mike grinned as he and Don walked up to Leo.

Don nodded chuckling, "And yet he doesn't seem to grasp the fact that he doesn't _have_ to come."

"Hey, what could be better than watching Raph chase Rocky around a April's apartment?" Mike asked jokingly.

Don and Leo turned to him confused.

"You know, the squirrel, Rocky? From _Rocky and Bullwinkle_?"

Don and Leo shrugged helplessly.

"Well how about Scrat, then?"

More confused looks.

Mike sighed, melo-dramatically putting a hand to his forehead, "I have _failed_ as your brother." Don and Leo rolled their eyes, chuckling.

"So," Mike said, perking up, "Where'd you go this morning, Leo?"

Leo's eyes widened a little, "Uhhh, No where really."

"Dude!" Mike exclaimed, "You missed morning meditation, that _never_ happens! We all thought you'd died or fallen into a sand pit or been eaten by giant sewer alligators or been abducted by more aliens-"

"_You_ thought that, Mikey" Don interrupted, setting the record straight. "That was all you."

"But still!" Mike whined, "What was so important Mr. Ninjitsu -pants missed his passion of life?"

"Mr. Ninjitsu-pants?" Don raised an eye-ridge, "_That_ was clever."

"Oh, come on, Donnie!" Mike rolled his eyes, "There are more important things to concentrate on here! Like what was sooooo important that Leo disappeared this morning?" Mike turned back to Leo.

"Well, I uh.."he stammered.

"Wait a sec," Mike tilted his head slightly to the side, as an idea dawned on him, "You were at Aaron's, weren't you?"

Leo didn't answer.

"You were, weren't you?" Mike asked excitedly. A knowing grin formed on Don's face.

"So anything you wanna tell us, Leo?"

Mike jabbed the blue turtle in the plastron with his elbow, "Come on, dude, we want details! Like when you finally confessed to her; or when she confessed to you; and how long you made out and-"

"Mike!" Leo stopped his 'younger' brother's babbling. "We didn't..._make out_." he said the last two words with a small bit of discomfort.

Mike's eyes widened and his grin got bigger.

"And we didn't do anything _else_ along those lines either," he quickly finished.

"But you just admitted you _were_ there..." Mike smirked.

"Well," Leo glanced around nervously, and finding no way out, replied, "Yeah."

"Then did you finally tell her ya like her? Are you together now? Are you-"

"No." Leo stopped his brother again, "Nothing happened. She doesn't like me and she doesn't know I-" he dropped his voice self-consciously, "_like _her."

Mike stared at Leo puzzled, glancing back at Don who shrugged, "Well if you didn't go there for any a' that, then what _did_ you do?"

Before Leo could answer Raph had stormed back and yanked Mike away by the back of the shell.

"Let's get this over with," he growled, pushing them all towards the elevator to the garage,"Everybody out!"

He shook his head to himself, "When we get there, I'm gonna-" Raph lowered his voice threateningly muttering curses and threats under his breath, stepping into the mystic elevator.

Mikey, Don and Leo filed in behind him. Smiling and smirking as brothers do.

----------

Aaron bounced back into her room, eager to change out of her church clothes, a.k.a. a skirt, and into jeans. The funny feeling from earlier that morning still hanging onto her, she couldn't seem to shake it, but she barely minded.

The sight of her messy bed did rain a bit on her little parade, however.

Half-heartedly grumbling to herself, she crawled back onto her bed, gathering up her things and stuffing them back into her backpack. The last item she picked up was her sketch book, the last page still unfinished. Unable to refuse the sight of an incomplete picture, she folded her legs and fished around for another pencil.

However, she found her picture just as stubborn as before. That right side just would not allow itself to be drawn!

She chewed her lip thoughtfully for a long while. Then finally set to work, newly inspired.

Whatever had possessed her in that moment caused her to draw a female figure on that right side she couldn't seem to get correct.

She pursed her lips, finishing off the girl's face. Knowing full-well it looked like and was meant to be herself; but reluctant, embarrassed and too stubborn to admit it, even to herself.

Lastly, and for the life of her she'd never admit why, she penciled in Leo's hand around 'the girl's' waist, holding her to him in such a way as to signify a couple. The half finished smile she'd started before on Leo's face had s look of satisfaction, like he finally had what he wanted. A tingling, prickly sensation crawled up her spine and into her head as she looked down at the finished product.

She smiled and bit her lip anxiously at the same time.

She'd found a new problem. One she couldn't talk about. Especially not to Leo.

Unable to hide from it any longer, she knew she'd realized, she had indeed fallen in love _with Leonardo_.

_End..._

_

* * *

_

Overflow

You try to keep it bottled up and hidden inside.  
No one can know how badly you've cried.  
At the end of the day, something else in you's died.  
There's no getting off. You're along for the ride.  
You gotta stay strong to battle your foe.  
Mustn't let it go.  
Mustn't let it all go.  
Mustn't let it,  
_overflow_.

A turbulent current of feelings and emotions.  
Tumbling and turning like the waves of the ocean.  
Crashing and churning. You don't want the commotion,  
But the rush won't stop once it's set in motion.  
And to avoid getting dragged down by the undertow  
Sometimes you've just got to let it go.  
Let it all go.  
Let it,  
_overflow_.

Could it be possible, that maybe all along,  
These assumptions you've made are actually wrong.  
Masking yourself doesn't prove that you're strong.  
The price will be back to bite you before long.  
Take my advice. Trust me. I know.  
Sometimes you just gotta let it go.  
Let it all go.  
Let it,  
_overflow_.

You can try all you want to hold your own  
Struggling to breathe behind your walls of stone.  
Life won't be put on hold, won't let you postpone.  
It's time to give it up and let your troubles be known  
You spent you're life trying to lay low,  
But now it's time to let it go.  
Let it all go.  
Let it,  
_overflow_.

You tried to stay bottled up with your feelings inside.  
No one knew how badly you'd cried.  
By the end of the day, something else in you'd died.  
You kept yourself completely denied.  
The inside and out diff'rent as Jekyll and Hyde  
All that trouble just because of your pride.  
But you learned your lesson, and you did it in stride.  
Now you know to buckle up 'cause you're along for the ride.  
And it's ok to let it go.  
Let it all go.  
Let it,  
_overflow._

_

* * *

_  
A/N_: Omigosh I can't believe I finally finished this thing! If you can call it finishing...  
Well, Whaddaya think? Satisfied? Hah, not likely. I'm hoping I can string you all along for the next installment. I'm gonna try to bring you all over to my other Aaron story _**"I Heart NY"**._Yes, I'm evil. But I have a plan! You do not know the plan, so you do not know how cool the plan is. So follow the plan. The plan likes you; you will (eventually) like the plan. At least, that is my great hope. So onto the sequel (which wasn't the original sequel but will be the sequel nonetheless!)_

_Thanks to everyone for reading this far! and for all your wonderful reviews. (Warm fuzzies!) _

_Now don't forget: Read and Review! Flames will be laughed at and used to light the torch I'll whack you with it you flame me, however honest constructive critism is appreciated._


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